Iraq’s parliament speaker says airstrike killed civilians
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s parliament speaker says an airstrike targeting the Islamic State-held town of Qaim near the Syrian border killed and wounded “dozens” of civilians, and that he is holding the Iraqi government responsible.
“The airstrike hit unarmed civilians in shopping centres in Qaim and caused the killing and wounding of dozens of them,” speaker Salim al-Jabouri said in a statement late Wednesday, calling the incident a “crime” and saying the perpetrators should be punished.
He did not provide a specific casualty figure or say where he got his information. He demanded an immediate investigation.
The government said fighter jets targeted IS militants in two houses in Qaim but denied civilians were present. Col. John Dorrian, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition battling IS, said on Twitter that it did not conduct any strikes in the area at the time.