"We urge all members of the US coalition to show in their actions the most balanced and responsible approach to the fulfillment of the tasks set for the defeat of terrorists in Syria and Iraq in order to prevent numerous civilian casualties," Zakharova said at a briefing.
The statement was made amid reports about mass civilian casualties in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which is now a battlefield between Daesh and Iraqi troops supported by the US-led coalition.
On March 17, an alleged US-led coalition airstrike, which targeted Daesh terrorists and their equipment, hit a building in al-Jadida neighborhood in western Mosul. The militants reportedly forced dozens of civilians into the building and secured it with explosives. According to Iraqi media reports, up to 200 people, many of whom were civilians, were killed in the airstrike.
On Tuesday, Iraqi President Fuad Masum described in an interview with Sputnik the situation in Mosul as a humanitarian catastrophe due to the civilian deaths, but urged to continue recapturing the city, since "it would not be sensible to leave Mosul to terrorists." He noted that it was necessary to thoroughly investigate the mistakes of the US-led coalition during their operations in Iraq.
The US-led coalition was also involved in controversial incidents in Syria — for example, in September 2016 the coalition hit positions of the Syrian army near the city of Deir ez-Zor leaving over 60 servicemen dead. The attack was later confirmed by the US Central Command, which said that Syrian troops were mistaken for Daesh terrorists.
