At Least 14 Civilians Killed in Recent US Airstrikes in Syria, Iraq

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – At least 14 civilians were killed in US airstrikes against the Islamic State (ISIL, also known as Daesh) militants and al-Qaeda supporters in Iraq and Syria, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

"We deeply regret the unintentional loss of life and injuries resulting from our airstrikes and express our sympathies to those affected," CENTCOM said in a Thursday statement, as quoted by The Stars And Stripes newspaper.

The airstrikes were conducted between July 2015 and April 2016. Most of the civilian casualties come from airstrikes carried out in February-April of the current year.

On Wednesday, a spokesman of the US-led anti-IS coalition said that reports of civilian deaths resulting from a July 19 coalition airstrike in Syria, near Manbij, were being investigated by CENTCOM. There have been reports that as many as 50 civilians were killed in the strike carried out in the Aleppo province.

The US-led coalition of more than 60 nations has been carrying out airstrikes against Daesh militants in Syria and Iraq since 2014.

The Islamic State terrorist group, outlawed in the United States, Russia and numerous other countries throughout the world, has taken control of vast areas in Iraq and Syria, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. The radical Sunni group has become notorious for its human rights atrocities, such as public beheadings of foreign journalists.