Iraqi army denies bombing civilians in ISIL-held Qaim

Iraq's military responded to what it called a "fake story" that alleged its air strikes mistakenly killed dozens of civilians in the ISIL-held city of al-Qaim, accusing media and politicians of doing propaganda work for the armed group.


Iraq's Joint Operations Command said on Thursday the air raids a day earlier targeted dozens of foreign fighters of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) - not civilians.

It said the first of two air strikes was conducted at 09:00 GMT and struck a two-storey building housing 25 mostly foreign would-be suicide bombers, led by a fighter it named as Abu Maysar al-Kawkazi.

Another strike was carried out during a second mission at 09;55 GMT, hitting a building hosting 30-40 ISIL cadres, also mostly foreigners, according to a military statement.

It also said the air force made great efforts to protect civilians, and the targets "were determined based on accurate intelligence and verified by our sources in the area.

"Everyone should refrain from spreading Daesh lies and fabrications and follow accuracy," it said, using the Arabic term for ISIL.
  [aljazeera.com]
8/12/16
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