Pentagon Admits It Killed 10 Civilians And Targeted Wrong Vehicle In Kabul Drone Airstrike

 

Daily Mail: BREAKING NEWS: US drone strike in Kabul DID kill aid worker and nine members of his family including seven children, defense official says 

The Pentagon has revealed the August 29 drone strike on an ISIS-K operative actually killed an aid worker and 9 members of his family, including 7 children. 

Head of US Central Command Gen. Frank McKenzie admitted the strike was a 'mistake' while addressing reporters Friday and said 'unlikely that the vehicle & those that died were associated w/ISIS-K or a direct threat to U.S. forces.' 

'It was a mistake and I offer my sincere apology,' McKenzie said. McKenzie said the movements of the aid worker, Zemari Ahmadi tracked with intelligence about ISIS plans for an attack at Kabul airport. 

A drone had observed men loading what were thought to be explosives into Ahmadi's vehicle, but were actually jugs of water.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: So who gave the final order to launch the strike? Was it the White House? 

More News On The Pentagon Admitting It Killed 10 Civilians And Targeted Wrong Vehicle In Kabul Drone Airstrike  

Afghanistan: US admits Kabul drone strike killed civilians -- BBC 

US general admits drone strike near Afghan airport that killed 10 was a 'mistake' -- ABC News 

US military admits it killed 10 civilians and targeted wrong vehicle in Kabul airstrike -- CNN  

Pentagon admits Aug. 29 drone strike in Kabul killed 10 civilians, including up to 7 children -- CNBC  

Pentagon acknowledges Aug. 29 drone strike in Afghanistan was a tragic mistake that killed 10 civilians. -- NYTimes  

Pentagon admits 'tragic mistake' in strike that killed 10 civilians -- The Hill  

General says it is unlikely ISIS-K members killed in August Kabul drone strike: 'A tragic mistake' -- FOX News

US-Led Coalition Claims That Since 2014 1,300 Civilians In Syria And Iraq Have Been Killed From Its Air Campaign

BBC: IS fight: US-led coalition says it killed 1,300 civilians in Syria and Iraq

The US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group says it has unintentionally killed more than 1,300 civilians in Iraq and Syria since 2014.

In a statement, the coalition said it had carried out 34,502 strikes since its air campaign against IS began there nearly five years ago.

A UK-based monitoring group says the true toll is much higher, estimating up to nearly 13,000 civilian fatalities.

The US-led action began after IS took over huge areas of territory.

It imposed brutal rule over millions of people who fell under its control and has carried out or inspired deadly attacks around the world.

The latest figure provided by the coalition is slightly higher than its previous admission eight months ago of 1,100 civilian deaths. It says it is still assessing 111 more possible cases of civilian fatalities.

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Update #1: US coalition admission of 1,300 civilian deaths in Iraq and Syria (Amnesty International)
Update #2: US-led coalition in Iraq and Syria admits it has unintentionally killed 1,300 civilians in past five years...despite watchdog claiming it's closer to 13,000 (Daily Mail)

WNU Editor: On the other side the Russians are claiming that no civilian casualties have occurred from their bombing .... 'Pragmatically ruthless': Russia's improbable claim it has killed no civilians in Syria (Washington Examiner).

President Trump Revokes The Requirement That U.S. Intelligence Must Report Civilian Deaths

Fortune/Bloomberg: Trump Cancels U.S. Report on Civilian Deaths in Drone Strikes

President Donald Trump revoked a requirement that U.S. intelligence officials publicly report the number of people killed in drone strikes and other attacks on terrorist targets outside of war zones.

Trump ended the requirement with an executive order on Wednesday. A law Congress passed last year requires the Defense Department to provide Congress a report of civilian casualties, though parts of it may be classified.

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WNU Editor: This is a developing story.

Pentagon: 1,100 Civilians Killed Since 2014 In The U.S. Led War Against The Islamic State

A plume of smoke rises above a building during an air strike in Tikrit March 27, 2015. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

Reuters: U.S.-led fight on Islamic State killed more than 1,100 civilians: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 1,100 civilians have been killed in U.S.-led strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria since the operation began in 2014, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

The coalition fighting Islamic State militants said in a statement that during the month of August it had determined that an additional 53 civilians had been killed unintentionally, bringing the total to at least 1,114 civilian deaths since August 2014.

The military’s official tally is far below those of outside organizations. The monitoring group Airwars says at least 6,575 civilians have been killed by coalition strikes.

Twenty civilians were killed in a strike on Islamic State “fighting positions,” explosives factory and a command and control center in May 2017 near Mosul, Iraq, the coalition said.

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Update: US military: At least 1,100 civilians killed by coalition since start of ISIS war (The Hill)

WNU Editor: Everyone believes this number is much higher.

NGO: U.S.-Led Coalition Air Strikes In syria Against The Islamic State Has Killed More than 3,300 Civilians

A fighter jet takes off from the deck of France's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the eastern Mediterranean Sea on Dec 9, 2016, as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group. (Photo: AFP/Stephane de Sakutin)

AFP: Four years of coalition strikes on Syria kill 3,300 civilians: monitor

BEIRUT (AFP) - More than 3,000 civilians have been killed in US-led coalition air strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria since they began four years ago, a monitor said on Sunday.

The Washington-led alliance puts the toll at just over 1,000 civilians in both Syria and neighbouring Iraq, and says it does all it can to prevent civilian deaths.

The coalition began bombing IS targets in Iraq in August 2014 after the jihadist group seized swathes of territory straddling the two countries, proclaiming an Islamic "caliphate".

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Update: Coalition airstrikes have killed over 3,000 civilians in Syria: NGO (Daily Sabah

WNU Editor: The battle for the Islamic State defacto capital at Raqqa was particularly brutal. These number do not surprise me.

United Nations: Civilian Deaths In Afghanistan Hit Record High

Record number of Afghan civilians being killed by warring parties, finds latest UN in #Afghanistan report. It doesn’t have to be this way. Read UNAMA update: https://t.co/TbuEnTQq5T pic.twitter.com/ophlmWfUgc

— UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) July 15, 2018

BBC: Afghanistan conflict: Civilian deaths hit record high, says UN

The number of civilians killed in the long-running war in Afghanistan reached a record high in the first six months of this year, the UN says.

Some 1,692 fatalities were recorded, with militant attacks and suicide bombs said to be the leading causes of death.

The report comes as at at least seven people were killed in an attack on the rural development ministry in Kabul.

Recent attacks claimed by Taliban and Islamic State group militants have killed scores across the country.

The figures for the conflict, which began in 2001, are the highest since the UN started keeping records in 2009.

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More News On The Recent United Nations Report That Civilian Deaths In Afghanistan Hit Record High

Civilian deaths in Afghanistan hit record high – UN -- UN News
Civilian deaths in Afghanistan hit record as suicide attacks surge -- Reuters
Civilian deaths in war-torn Afghanistan hit record high: UN -- AFP
UN: Civilian Deaths In Afghanistan Hit Record High -- RFE
Civilian deaths in Afghanistan at record high, UN says -- The Guardian
Civilian deaths in Afghanistan hit record high as suicide attacks surge -- NBC
Afghanistan: Civilian deaths hit record high, says UN -- Al Jazeera
Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan Highest in 10 Years - UN -- Sputnik

Pentagon: 500 Civilians Killed In U.S. Military Operations In 2017

CNN: Pentagon says nearly 500 civilians killed in US military operations in Trump's first year

Washington (CNN)The Pentagon has told Congress it estimates that nearly 500 civilians were killed as a result of US military actions in the first year of the Trump administration.

"(The Department of Defense) assesses that there are credible reports of approximately 499 civilians killed and approximately 169 civilians injured during 2017" as a result of military operations in Iraq and Syria targeting ISIS, operations in Afghanistan targeting the Taliban and ISIS, and operations in Yemen against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS, the report said.

The report which provides an estimate of the number of civilian casualties in counterterrorism operations in 2017 also said the Defense Department has "no credible reports" of civilian casualties as a result of US military operations in Somalia or Libya last year.

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Update #1: US military actions killed nearly 500 civilians in Trump's first year: report (The Hill)
Update #2: 499 civilians killed by US military in Trump’s first year in office: Pentagon (Daily Sabah)

WNU editor: Only 500?

Report: Civilian Deaths From Airstrikes Almost Double In A Year

© REUTERS/ Khalid al Mousily

The Guardian: 'Crazy numbers': civilian deaths from airstrikes almost double in a year

British involvement under scrutiny after study identifies 42% rise in number of civilians killed by explosives

More than 15,000 civilians were killed by explosive weapons in 2017, a jump of 42% in a year, according to a global survey seen by the Guardian.

The rise – driven by airstrikes, which killed almost double the number of civilians in 2017 compared with the previous year – coincided with US-led military operations to reclaim the Islamic State strongholds of Mosul, in Iraq, and Raqqa, in Syria.

MPs said the figures were “deeply concerning” and raised questions over the transparency of legal criteria used by the Ministry of Defence to determine whether an individual is an Isis combatant.

The UK has said it has no credible evidence of its airstrikes resulting in civilian deaths, while the US military has revealed it unintentionally killed at least 801 civilians in Syria and Iraq.

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WNU Editor: 2017 was the year when urban warfare reached its peak in the battle for Mosul. And then there are the bombardments by Russian and Syrian warplanes in Syria. Add in IEDs, suicide bomb attacks, etc., and map it on a global scale .... this 15,000 number may be at the low end.

AP Report: Up To 11,000 Civilians Killed In The Battle To Free Mosul

Newsweek: Mosul Battle: U.S. Coalition, Iraq Killed Ten Times More Civilians Than They Claim

The number of civilians killed by the U.S.-led coalition's campaign against the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul was almost ten times higher than the coalition claims, a new investigation has found.

According to an Associated Press count, which cited the reports of grave diggers, morgue workers and volunteers, between 9,000 and 11,000 Mosul residents were killed in the nine-month battle to liberate the city that ISIS held for three years.

Of those killed, Iraqi or coalition forces were responsible for at least 3,200 civilian deaths in airstrikes or ground fire conducted from the beginning of the offensive in October 2016 to July 2017. The coalition says it is responsible for only 326 of the deaths, but also claims that it does not have adequate resources on the ground to investigate the total number of deaths.

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More News On The AP Report Estimating That 9,000 to 11,000 Civilians Were Killed In The Battle To Free Mosul

Vast undercount of Mosul dead: 9,000 civilians paid in blood -- AP
The US spent months battling ISIS in Mosul. At least 9,000 civilians were killed in the crossfire. -- VOX
'None of this was worth it': Up to 11,000 civilians killed in battle to free Mosul, AP probe reveals -- RT
As many as 11,000 dead in Mosul: report -- Middle East Eye

Top Departing U.S. Commander In The War Against The Islamic State Acknowledges Civilian Casualties

Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend. YouTube

Washington Examiner: Accusations of sloppy targeting dog the US military as civilian casualties rise

As the U.S. military racks up victories against terror groups, there’s one battle that it can't seem to win: The PR war over how many innocent civilians are dying as a result of U.S. airstrikes or commando raids.

When confronted with allegations of civilian casualties, U.S. commanders have repeated their go-to talking point, that the U.S.-led coalition air campaign is “the most accurate in the history of warfare,” employing only the smartest of smart bombs and requiring the most rigorous target approval process.

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WNU Editor: We will never know the exact number of civilians killed in this war.

In The War Against ISIS Civilians Killed Were Usually Recorded As Fighters

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Brennan Weiss, Business Insider: The US recorded civilians as ISIS members in what may be 'the least transparent war in recent American history'

* The US military has drastically underreported the number of civilian casualties in its fight against ISIS.
* A recent investigation found the rate of civilian deaths in Iraq to be 31 times higher than what has been reported by US-led coalition forces.
* News of underreported civilian casualties comes as President Donald Trump loosens rules of engagement abroad, which many human rights organizations say will lead to more innocent lives lost.

An 18-month investigation by The New York Times revealed that the US-led coalition fighting ISIS repeatedly recorded civilian deaths as enemy casualties.

The Times' journalists scanned the locations of nearly 150 coalition airstrikes across northern Iraq and found the rate of civilian deaths to be more than 31 times that acknowledged by the coalition.

Such negligence — a combination of simply flawed and outdated intelligence — amounted to what the Times noted "may be the least transparent war in recent American history."

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WNU Editor: This Business Insider post summarizes the work that the New York Times has done in tracking civilian casualties in the war against ISIS .... but it is months late, and already reported by others .... Civilian Casualties Have Increased Under President Trump (July 17, 2017). My comment from my post in July also still holds ....

.... This blog has posted countless articles in the past six months outlining how ISIS was civilians as human shields .... especially in Mosul. In such an environment .... heavy urban combat with hundreds of civilians in a few buildings .... was (and is) a guarantee that there will be high civilian casualties. I suspect that when the war is over .... and a true accounting of who was killed and wounded in the battle of Mosul is finally tallied .... we are going to be shocked to learn that thousands died .... and most within the past 2 or 3 months. As for blaming President Trump for these casualties .... casualties that came from U.S. artillery and air strikes that Iraqi soldiers on the ground called for .... please .... the ones who should be blamed for this slaughter are those who fought for the Islamic State.

UN Report: Civilian Deaths Hit New High

Civilian casualties persist at record highs. More than 5,000 killed and injured in first half of 2017. More at https://t.co/HRU3yuGPGX. pic.twitter.com/xgLuQhzSM3

— UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) July 17, 2017

DW: UN reports increase in Afghanistan civilian deaths

Civilian loss of life has gone up in comparison to last year, the UN reported. As attacks by anti-government forces persist, humanitarian leaders urged people not to forget the "national tragedy of Afghanistan."

According to a mid-year report released Monday that includes figures from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 1,662 civilians were killed in the first sixth months of 2017, and 3,581 were injured.

Though the total for civilian casualties was slightly lower than those over the same period in 2016, the two percent increase in the death toll is its highest level since 2014.

Read more ....

More News On The Latest UN Report Detailing Civilian Deaths In Afghanistan

UN reports rise in Afghan war deaths, blames insurgents -- AP
Afghan civilian deaths hit new high: UN -- AFP
Suicide bomb attacks killing more Afghan civilians: U.N. -- Reuters
Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan Reach New High, U.N. Says -- NYT
UN condemns jump in Afghan civilian deaths -- Al Jazeera
UN Report: Civilian Casualties Still High In Afghanistan's 'Ugly War' -- RFE
1,662 Afghan civilians killed and 3,581 wounded since January: UNAMA -- Khaama Press

Civilian Casualties Have Increased Under President Trump

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Samuel Oakford, Daily Beast: President Trump’s Air War Kills 12 Civilians Per Day

The president promised to ‘bomb the sh*t’ out of ISIS. But an Airwars investigation reveals that more and more innocents are being killed in American-led attacks.

Civilian casualties from the U.S.-led war against the so-called Islamic State are on pace to double under President Donald Trump, according to an Airwars investigation for The Daily Beast.

Airwars researchers estimate that at least 2,300 civilians likely died from Coalition strikes overseen by the Obama White House—roughly 80 each month in Iraq and Syria. As of July 13, more than 2,200 additional civilians appear to have been killed by Coalition raids since Trump was inaugurated—upwards of 360 per month, or 12 or more civilians killed for every single day of his administration.

The Coalition’s own confirmed casualty numbers—while much lower than other estimates—also show the same trend. Forty percent of the 603 civilians so far admitted killed by the alliance died in just the first four months of Trump’s presidency, the Coalition’s own data show.

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WNU editor: This blog has posted countless articles in the past six months outlining how ISIS was civilians as human shields .... especially in Mosul. In such an environment .... heavy urban combat with hundreds of civilians in a few buildings .... was (and is) a guarantee that there will be high civilian casualties. I suspect that when the war is over .... and a true accounting of who was killed and wounded in the battle of Mosul is finally tallied .... we are going to be shocked to learn that thousands died .... and most within the past 2 or 3 months. As for blaming President Trump for these casualties .... casualties that came from U.S. artillery and air strikes that Iraqi soldiers on the ground called for .... please .... the ones who should be blamed for this slaughter are those who fought for the Islamic State.

Pentagon Official Admits That U.S. Investigators Rarely Talk To Air Strike Witnesses Or Victims

Sarah Knuckey, Ole Solvang, Jonathan Horowitz and Radhya Almutawakel, Just Security: Pentagon Admits Major Investigation Flaw: They Rarely Talk to Air Strike Witnesses or Victims

In a transcript of a Pentagon Press Briefing, released this week by Airwars, Central Command’s Deputy Director for Operations made a striking admission about U.S. investigations into civilian casualties in Syria:

Q: Okay. So, you didn’t talk to anybody on the ground and nobody visited the site. Is that — that correct, right?

GEN. BONTRAGER: That is correct, Bill, and that’s common. It’s a rare thing with strikes like this that we can get on the ground in person, or that we can talk to anybody on the ground is not uncommon at all.

The admission was made as Bontrager described his investigation into the March 16, 2017 al-Jinah strike, a U.S. strike that human rights NGOs say may have killed up to 38 civilians praying at a mosque. Bontrager concluded, in contrast, that only one civilian “likely” died.

Human rights groups have long voiced concerns about the inadequacy of U.S. investigations into the consequences of U.S. strikes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere, but it is rare to see such an open and general acknowledgement from the Pentagon that its investigators rarely conduct site visits or speak with witnesses and other people on the ground.

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WNU Editor: One more reason why we should always be sceptical when the Pentagon (and other countries for that matter) declare low civilian casualty numbers.

U.N. Report: U.S. Led Air Strikes Are Causing Staggering Civilian Deaths At Raqqa

Smoke rises from the al-Mishlab district at Raqqa's southeastern outskirts, Syria June 7, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said

Reuters: "Staggering" civilian deaths from U.S.-led air strikes in Raqqa - U.N.

Intensified coalition air strikes supporting an assault by U.S.-backed forces on Islamic State's stronghold of Raqqa in Syria are causing a "staggering loss of civilian life", United Nations war crimes investigators said on Wednesday.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias supported by a U.S.-led coalition, began to attack Raqqa a week ago to take it from the jihadists. The SDF, supported by heavy coalition air strikes, have taken territory to the west, east and north of the city.

"We note in particular that the intensification of air strikes, which have paved the ground for an SDF advance in Raqqa, has resulted not only in staggering loss of civilian life, but has also led to 160,000 civilians fleeing their homes and becoming internally displaced," Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry told the Human Rights Council.

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More News On The U.N. Claiming That U.S. Led Air Strikes Are Causing Staggering Civilian Deaths At Raqqa

UN decries 'staggering loss of civilian life' in Raqa -- AFP
Raqqa battle: 'Staggering' civilian toll in strikes on IS -- BBC
UN: 'Staggering' civilian deaths from US-led air strikes in Raqqa Syria -- The Jerusalem Post
‘Staggering loss of civilian life’ during US-backed siege of Raqqa – UN -- RT

Pentagon Acknowledges Higher Civilian Casualties In Their Air War Against The Islamic State In Syria And Iraq

The Independent: US-led coalition admits killing at least 484 civilians in air strikes against Isis in Syria and Iraq

Vast majority of incidents in Mosul, as UN raises alarm about potential war crimes

The US-led coalition has admitted killing at least 484 civilians in air strikes in Syria and Iraq amid concern over potential war crimes in the battle to drive Isis out of Mosul.

US Central Command (CentCom) insisted it “takes extraordinary efforts to strike military targets in a manner that minimises the risk of civilian casualties” but claimed: “In some incidents casualties are unavoidable.”

The number of men, women and children killed in the campaign has rocketed since the start of the Mosul offensive, seeing densely populated residential districts pummelled by air strikes and artillery.

Read more ....

More News On The Pentagon Acknowledging Higher Civilian Casualties In Their Air War Against The Islamic State In Syria And Iraq

Pentagon acknowledges more civilian deaths in U.S.-led air campaign against Islamic State -- Washington Post
Coalition: 484 civilians killed since start of anti-ISIS campaign -- The Hill
Pentagon: 484 civilians killed since 2014 in coalition strikes on IS -- UPI
Civilian casualties surge as anti-'Islamic State' coalition prepares to capture Raqqa -- DW
'484 civilians killed' in US-led strikes against ISIL -- Al Jazeera
US says Syria-Iraq civilian deaths from airstrikes in 'hundreds' -- The New Arab
Civilian death toll rises to 484 from US-led coalition strikes in Iraq & Syria -- RT

Pentagon: US Airstrike In Mosul Caused Explosion That Killed 105 Iraqi Civilians

Daily Mail: US strike killed more than 100 civilians hiding in a Mosul building when bomb that was aimed at two ISIS snipers caused jihadis' weapons to explode

* US strike targeting ISIS fighters in a Mosul building in Iraq killed at least 105
* United States Air Force Brigadier General Matt Isler confirmed the death toll
* CTS and coalition forces were not aware that civilians were in the building

A US strike targeting Islamic State fighters in a Mosul building in Iraq killed at least 105 civilians when the blast caused ISIS weapons to explode.

US Air Force Brigadier General Matt Isler confirmed the incident on March 17 claimed the lives of at least 105 civilians - adding a further 36 remain unaccounted for.

According to Isler, Iraqi counterterrorism service troops and coalition forces were not aware civilians were in the building, and ordered an air strike.

Read more ....

More News On Today's Pentagon Report That A US Airstrike In Mosul Caused An Explosion That Killed 105 Iraqi Civilians

US air strike on IS killed 105 civilians in Iraq's Mosul -- BBC
U.S. military acknowledges over 100 civilians died in Mosul strike in March -- Reuters
US: More Than 100 Civilians Killed in Iraq Bombing in March -- NYT/AP
US probe finds more than 100 civilians killed in Mosul air strike -- AFP
US military admits 100 civilian deaths as a result of anti-IS bombing -- DW
Pentagon Officials Say a U.S. Airstrike Killed Over 100 Civilians in Mosul -- NBC
US report: Building in Mosul airstrike contained explosives -- CNN
Pentagon: More than 100 civilians killed in March airstrike in Mosul -- USA Today
Coalition confirms more than 100 Mosul civilians killed in March airstrike -- RUDAW
Pentagon Confesses Coalition Strike Killed Over 100 Civilians in Mosul -- Sputnik

Top U.S. General Disputes Reports That Civilian Deaths From U.S. Air Strikes Are Soaring

Rodi Said/Reuters

AFP: No increase in civilian deaths under Trump: US general

A top US Air Force official on Wednesday denied claims that civilian casualties in Iraq and Syria are soaring under President Donald Trump, who has given greater leeway to battlefield commanders.

Airwars, a London-based collective of journalists and researchers that tracks civilian deaths in Iraq and Syria, this week said it has seen numbers jump since Trump came into power.

The group estimates as many as 366 civilians were killed in Iraq and Syria in April alone.

Another Britain-based group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, on Tuesday said US-led air strikes killed 225 civilians in Syria over the past month.

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WNU Editor: The Centcom count (at the end of April) that states that after 3 years only 396 civilians have been killed by the U.S. coalition bombing campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria .... is .... to put it bluntly .... a number that I have trouble believing.

Pentagon Investigation Confirms Reports That The U.S. Did Hit A Mosque Complex In Syria In March That Killed 56 Civilians

CNN: Pentagon investigation: US hit mosque complex in Syria

Washington (CNN)A US Central Command investigation found that a March US airstrike in northern Syria did in fact strike a building that was part of a "mosque complex," two US defense officials told CNN Thursday.

For days following the March 16 strike, the Pentagon adamantly rejected the notion that a mosque was hit and that there were civilian casualties -- even as numerous social media reports showed images of bodies being taken out of the rubble.

Instead, in the initial hours following the strike by US drones and aircraft, the Pentagon insisted that it hit only a building some 40 feet away from the mosque, where it said al Qaeda members were holding a meeting.

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Update #1: Pentagon investigation confirms deadly US attack on Syria mosque (Middle East Monitor)
Update #2: Pentagon finally ‘admits’ US jets bombed mosque with civilians in Syria (RT)

WNU Editor: Someone "screwed-up".

Pentagon Claims To Have Only Killed 352 Civilians Since The Start Of The ISIS Air Campaign

Reuters: U.S.-led fight on ISIS have killed 352 civilians: Pentagon

At least 352 civilians have been killed in U.S.-led strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria since the operation began in 2014, the U.S. military said in a statement on Sunday.

The Combined Joint Task Force, in its monthly assessment of civilian casualties from the U.S. coalition's operations against the militant group, said it was still assessing 42 reports of civilian deaths.

It added that 45 civilians were killed between November 2016 and March 2017. It reported 80 civilian deaths from August 2014 to the present that had not previously been announced. The report included 26 deaths from three separate strikes in March.

The military's official tally is far below those of other outside groups. Monitoring group Airwars said more than 3,000 civilians have been killed by coalition air strikes.

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WNU Editor: I have trouble believing these numbers.