US: Bombing of Building in Mosul Led to Death of Over 100 Civilians

Investigations conducted by the US armed forces, the results of which were published on Thursday, show that in March 2017, several buildings were destroyed in Mosul due to US bombing or explosives planted in areas controlled by the Islamic State group, resulting in the deaths of over 100 civilians. According to the Associated Press, the head of the investigation, Air Force General Matthew Isler, stated in a conference call with reporters that a bomb weighing nearly 250 kilograms, dropped by an American fighter jet on March 17, aimed to eliminate two Islamic State snipers who posed a serious threat to the Iraqi army's counter-terrorism units. The investigation revealed that the explosion of this bomb caused a larger secondary explosion due to explosives hidden on the first floor of the building. General Isler added that neither Iraqi nor American forces, who confirmed the execution of this operation, were aware that civilians lived in this building or that explosives were present there. This is likely the largest single instance of civilian casualties from US attacks since the start of operations against the Islamic State group in the summer of 2014. General Isler stated that 101 civilians were killed in this building, and 4 others died in an adjacent building. He noted that 36 civilians are still missing. This figure is approximately equivalent to one-fourth of the total civilian casualties from US attacks since the beginning of operations against the Islamic State group in the summer of 2014.