"Protecting civilians in armed conflict is critical, and it’s important that our legal guidance is clear and practical," Pentagon general counsel Jennifer O’Connor said in Tuesday’s release.
The revised manual provides additional examples of precautions the US military can take to reduce the likelihood of civilian casualties, such as providing warnings, conducting assessments of potential civilian casualties and analyzing which weapons to use, the release explained.
The update also explains in greater detail how the military can meet requirements to refrain from attacks when excessive harm to civilians is anticipated, according to the release.
This is the second revision since the Defense Department first issued the manual in June 2015, according to the release.
