US sees probable role in Mosul blast, probe under way

The senior US commander in Iraq acknowledged that the US-led coalition probably had a role in an explosion in Mosul believed to have killed scores of civilians but said Islamic State could also be to blame.

Source: AAP

As investigators probe the blast, Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend strongly defended U.S. behavior in the war and pushed back against accusations the United States had loosened safeguards meant to protect civilians as it ramps up the battle against Islamic State.

Still, he said increases in casualties were to be expected as the war against the insurgents entered its deadliest phase in the cramped, narrow streets of Mosul's Old City.

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