US Military investigating civilian deaths in Mosul, says general

The U.S. military is investigating whether a U.S.-led air strike might have caused the deaths of dozens of civilians in Mosul, Iraq.

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, confirmed on Monday, March 27, that a coalition air strike was ordered for western Mosul where the civilians died, but that possibly ISIS blew up a building there to implicate the coalition.

Eyewitnesses have reported that last week’s air strike on ISIS targets in Mosul might have collapsed some residential homes, possibly burying some 200 people.

Iraqi and coalition forces are close to ousting ISIS from Mosul.

By killing civilians ISIS could slow the offensive and gain time to regroup and rearm.

Milley was in Iraq to meet with Iraq’s Defense Minister Erfan al-Hayali and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to discuss the ongoing effort to dislodge ISIS from Mosul.