WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US Air Force investigation indicates that coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State (ISIL) in Iraq likely killed four civilians in March, including a child, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a press release on Friday.
“The preponderance of the evidence gathered during the investigation indicates that the airstrikes likely resulted in the deaths of four non-combatants,” the release said. “One of the non-combatants may have been a child.”
The US authorities will have to carry out forensic examination to determine gender and age of the victims with certainty, according to the release.
"We regret the unintentional loss of lives and keep those families affected in our thoughts," US Air Forces Central Command Commander CQ Brown said.
The investigation into the incident also concluded that the air force took “all reasonable measures” to avoid unintended deaths, the release said.
