US Airstrike Kills Mosul Civilians
A spokesperson for the Iraqi government forces said they had halted operations across Mosul after the U.S.-led military coalition fighting to dislodge Islamic State (ISIS) announced it may have been responsible for an airstrike that reportedly killed at least 150 people in the Aghawat Jidideh neighborhood.
"The recent high death toll among civilians inside the Old City forced us to halt operations to review our plans," the spokesman was quoted on Saturday, March 25. "No combat operations are to go on," he continued, adding that it's time for them to weigh new offensive plans and tactics.
The Pentagon released a statement saying that Iraqi security forces requested the airstrike at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties to target ISIS fighters and equipment. It added that Civilian Casualty Credibility Assessment has been opened to determine the facts.
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The statement continued that the coalition's goal of zero civilian casualties is thwarted by ISIS' tactics of using human shields and fighting from protected sites such as schools, hospitals, religious sites and civilian neighborhoods. Nevertheless, the Pentagon will not abandon its commitment to its Iraqi partners, it went on.
Iraqi special forces commander Maj. Gen. Maan al-Saadi admitted calling in the airstrike to take out snipers on the roofs of three houses, not knowing that the basements were filled with civilians.
"I think it was a trap by ISIS to stop the bombing operations and turn public opinion against us," he said.
But officials denied the Iraqi government forces' claim they stopped their push to recapture western Mosul.
"We didn't stop our operation. Our operation is still ongoing but it's not like before," Iraq's federal police chief Raed Shaker Jawdat said, adding that they are going slowly because the area is densely populated.
Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis also told the NY Times the rules of engagement had not been loosened. He mentioned three major offensives currently ongoing simultaneously; namely, the battle for West Mosul, the encirclement of Raqqa, Syria, and the fight for Tabqa Dam also in Syria.
