In recent months, Iraq, supported by a US-led air coalition, has stepped up a military campaign against Daesh
Airstrikes on an Iraqi town held by the Daesh militia killed 120 civilians, an Iraqi member of parliament said Thursday.
Some 170 others were injured in the bombing, which took place on Wednesday in the town of Qaim near the border with Syria, lawmaker Fares al-Fares told dpa.
The strikes targeted the main marketplace in the town located about 500 kilometres west of Baghdad.
“We have got information that the air raids were carried out by Iraqi planes,” al-Fares added, without giving details.
Earlier reports estimated that at least 66 people had been killed and 88 injured in the strikes.
In its first comment, the army Thursday acknowledged that Iraqi warplanes had mounted the previous day airstrikes in the town, saying they targeted two Daesh “hideouts” there.
“The targets had been specified based on accurate intelligence information,” the Joint Operations Command added in a statement.
The military dismissed the reports about civilian deaths in the bombing, saying they were based on Daesh propaganda.
“Our security forces and brave Air Forces are keen on safety and security of citizens, and are determined to liberate them from Daesh terrorism,” the statement said, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
In recent months, Iraq, supported by a US-led air coalition, has stepped up a military campaign to dislodge Daesh from territory the militia seized in a lightning attack in mid-2014.
In October, Iraqi forces started a long-awaited offensive to drive Daesh from its key stronghold of Mosulin the north.
Daesh has recently suffered military setbacks and lost ground in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.
(Source / 09.12.2016)
