The US Pentagon has given its monthly assessment of civilian casualties from US-led strikes on IS in Iraq and Syria. But the death toll it gave is markedly lower than that provided by monitoring groups.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/US Air Force/M. Bruch
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At least 352 civilians have been killed in strikes by the US-led military coalition on so-called "Islamic State" (IS) targets in Iraq and Syria since 2014, with 45 of the deaths occurring between November 2016 and March 2017, the US military said in a statement on Sunday.
In its monthly assessment of civilian casualties, the Combined Joint Task Force said it was still examining 42 reports of civilian deaths. Eighty civilian deaths from August 2014 to the present were included that had not been announced previously, and two civilian deaths were subtracted after being found not to have been caused by the coalition.
Fighting in Mosul has claimed many civilian livesImage: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Janssen
The assessment did not include possible casualties from a March 17 strike on IS fighters in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which is still being investigated by the US military. Residents reported that more than 100 civilians were killed in the attack, which sparked outrage in Iraq and beyond.
Much higher death toll?
The military's official tally is anyway far below those of activists and monitoring groups. The London-based monitoring group Airwars says that more than 3,000 civilians in Iraq and Syria have died in coalition strikes since 2014.
The Pentagon said that "all feasible precautions were taken" to prevent the loss of civilian lives during each strike, and that any civilian casualties were "unintentional."
"We regret the unintentional loss of civilian lives ... and express our deepest sympathies to the families and others affected by these strikes," it said in the statement.
The United States began its campaign of air strikes against the jihadist group in 2014 after its fighters pushed into Iraq from Syria, taking large swaths of territory in the north and west in a lightning offensive. Since then, Iraqi forces have gradually reclaimed much of the territory taken, with a few areas in the west of Mosul being the last major stronghold of the group in Iraq.
What is the 'Islamic State'?
IS has gone from an obscure al-Qaida splinter group to a global phenomenon. DW takes a look at the defining aspects of the jihadi group — from its "caliphate" to its tactics.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Al-Furqan
Where did it come from?
The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Where does it operate?
IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.
Who is fighting back?
The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/H. Huseyin
How does it fund itself?
One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.
Image: Getty Images/J. Moore
Where does it carry out attacks?
IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Spingler
What other tactics does it use?
The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
How has it impacted the region?
IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild.
