Inquiry into airstrikes that leave at least 100 dead in Mosul
of airstrikes to reduce the risk of harm to civilians”. Faced with their toughest fight against Isis yet, Iraqi and coalition forces have increasingly turned to airstrikes and artillery to clear and hold territory in western Mosul’s densely-populated neighbourhoods. Civilians, humanitarian and monitoring officials are warning of increased civilian casualties in western Mosul. The United Nations reported on Thursday that more than 1,000 people have been treated for conflict-related trauma near frontlines since the fight for western Mosul began on February 19.
Frontline medics say the vast majority of civilians they treat have been hit with IS munitions such as mortars and sniper fire. As Iraqi forces push deeper into Mosul’s old city, humanitarian officials expect casualty rates to spike as more than 400,000 civilians remain trapped in the west of the city.
The Pentagon, which has yet to release casualty figures from last month’s fighting, has acknowledged 220 civilian deaths from coalition air strikes in Iraq and Syria since the US campaign against IS began in 2014. Independent monitor groups such as the London-based Airwars put the casualty figures much higher, at just over 2,700.