US-led Coalition Jets Kill 64 Civilians in Iraq, Syria in One Year

Some 64 Iraqi and Syrian civilians were killed by US-led coalition airstrikes last year, the US military admitted.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) has determined that US-led coalition strikes in Iraq and Syria that focused on Daesh have also killed 64 civilians within the past year, according to a press release.

"Over the past year 24 US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria regrettably may have killed 64 civilians and injured 8 other civilians," CENTCOM's release on Wednesday stated.

CENTCOM spokesperson John Thomas said the coalition had followed "right processes" in each strike taking significant precautions.

"We went with the worst-case number [of casualties in strikes] to ensure a full accounting," he added in the release.

During the period from November 20, 2015, to September 10, 2016, the coalition strikes killed 34 non-combatants in Iraq and 30 civilians in Syria.

In Iraq, most casualties were sustained near the city of Mosul, while in Syria most strikes took place near Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, according to the release.

The US-led coalition of more than 60 nations has been conducting airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq since 2014. However, the strikes in Syria are not authorized by the legitimate government of President Bashar Assad or by the UN Security Council.

The Islamic State, also known as Daesh in Arabic, is outlawed in the United States, Russia and other countries.