Iraqi Army Denies Reports of US-Led Coalition Strike on Troops in Mosul

The Iraqi army denied media reports that a total of 90 Iraqi servicemen had been killed and 100 injured as a result of a mistake strike by the US Air Force in besieged Mosul.

BAGHDAD (Sputnik) — The Iraqi army on Saturday denied reports of dozens of its soldiers being killed in an accidental US-led coalition airstrike in Mosul.

Earlier in the day, Iraqi media said a total of 90 Iraqi servicemen had been killed and 100 injured as a result of a mistake strike by the US Air Force in besieged Mosul. The airstrike was also said to have damaged Iraqi military hardware, forcing troops had to retreat from the area.

"There is nothing pointing to the fact that the coalition made some sort of mistake in its operations in the Nineveh province," the army said in a communique obtained by RIA Novosti.

The document urged reporters to use reliable information sources and said the coalition has significantly contributed to the operations in Mosul.

The Iraqi operation to liberate Mosul, which was occupied by the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) in June 2014, has been ongoing since October 17. The offensive is led by Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Iraqi soldiers backed by the US-led anti-terror coalition.