UK airstrikes on IS may have killed 26 civilians, charity says

UK airstrikes successful Iraq and Syria whitethorn person killed astatine slightest 26 civilians, probe by a foundation suggests.

Action connected Armed Violence says it has recovered grounds that astatine slightest 9 RAF strikes resulted successful civilian deaths betwixt March 2016 and March 2018.

A Ministry of Defence admittance that it caused 1 civilian decease successful its seven-year run against the Islamic State radical was not present credible, it added.

The MoD said "no evidence" of civilian deaths had been recovered successful the strikes.

A spokesperson said subject unit analyse each disposable evidence, including ngo information from each strike.

The investigation of UK strikes was carried retired by AOAV, which researches the interaction of planetary conflicts. The BBC has not independently verified AOAV's findings.

Based connected its ain research, the foundation says astatine slightest 26 civilians are apt to person been killed successful UK strikes successful the two-year play betwixt March 2016 and March 2018, portion up to 32 civilians whitethorn person really been killed.

Most of the strikes that resulted successful civilian deaths were "self-reported", meaning subject unit wrong the US-led conjugation highlighted concerns civilians mightiness person been killed pursuing strikes.

Reports of civilian deaths were deemed "credible" successful each but 1 of the 9 strikes examined - with civilian casualties believed "likely" oregon 'highly likely".

AOAV analysed MoD onslaught reports released aft each incident, and cross-checked them with accusation provided by US Central Command and probe by different charities, arsenic good arsenic reports from the crushed and from media organisations, including the BBC.

One credible study of civilian deaths took spot connected 19 May 2017, successful the Iraqi metropolis of Mosul. The RAF said Tornado jets engaged 7 IS targets determination that day. The incidental was self-reported.

The New York Times obtained a transcript of the US conjugation report, which stated that 3 civilians were adjacent 1 people location. It said: "The detonation from striking the mortar tract was ample capable to reason that immoderate idiosyncratic successful the blast radius was earnestly injured oregon killed successful the strike."

The RAF has ne'er accepted that civilian casualties were caused by its strike.

AOAV's investigation besides includes civilian casualties apt caused by RAF strikes that person already been identified by different charity, AirWars. One, successful Raqqa, Syria, successful August 2017 is reported to person resulted successful 12 civilian deaths.

A BBC probe into a RAF onslaught successful Mosul, connected 9 January 2017, is besides recorded. Two civilians were reported to person been killed erstwhile a motortruck weaponry was targeted.

Definitive impervious of civilian casualties is hard to establish. The US-led conjugation did not person teams connected the crushed to verify reports of civilian deaths during the campaign. Most investigation was conducted by reviewing video from the cockpit of the craft involved.

The US subject estimates that 1,437 civilians whitethorn person been killed successful the bombing run against IS betwixt August 2014 and May 2023.

In a statement, the MOD said it has "identified thing to bespeak that specified civilian casualties were caused successful Syria". "The RAF ever minimises the hazard of civilian casualties done our rigorous targeting processes… but nary grounds has been identified successful these instances."