AntiWar.com & Baku-APA & Muslim News – 2016-10-24 23:39:54
US Airstrike Kills 15-20 Civilians at Iraqi Funeral Procession Near Kirkuk
US Airstrike Kills 15-20 Civilians at
Iraqi Funeral Procession Near Kirkuk
Jason Ditz / AntiWar.com
(October 23, 2016) — An airstrike, believed to have been carried out by the US-led coalition, hit a Shi’ite mosque in the town of Daquq, on the outskirts of the city of Kirkuk, killing at least 15 civilians, and by some estimates 20, involved in a funeral procession. Scores of others were wounded.
The Pentagon followed the Friday attack with a statement Sunday denying involvement, insisting they had “determined definitively” that they were not involved in any airstrikes against Daquq that resulted in civilian casualties.
The denial’s very specific caveats, that they didn’t deny attacking Daquq, or indeed the mosque, doesn’t help with credibility, and indeed Iraq is still carrying out an investigation into the attack. Daquq was not believed to have any ISIS fighters anywhere near it, and the locals confirmed the attack was carried out by a warplane, though they obviously weren’t able to say whose warplane it was, Iraq or the US coalition.
With the US loudly publicizing every Russian airstrike in Aleppo as a “war crime,” Russia was quick to fire back over this incident, saying the attack on the funeral procession had “all the signs of a war crime.” Russian Defense Ministry officials said two US warplanes were involved in the attack.
That Russia is piling on will likely prevent the US from admitting the incident, and indeed they were loathe to admit any civilian deaths they’ve caused during the ISIS air war in the first place. Either way, the denials ring decidedly false.
US-Led Coalition Strikes Funeral Procession in Iraqi Town – Russian MoD
Baku-APA
(October 22, 2016) — The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday that the US-led coalition launched strikes on a funeral procession in the Iraqi town of Daquq near the city of Kirkuk, killing dozens of civilians, APA reports quoting Sputnik.
Daesh terrorist group is not operating in the area, where dozens of Iraqis, including women and children, have been killed as a result of the coalition’s airstrikes.
The Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman called coalition’s stikes on residential areas “war crimes.” “We have repeatedly noted that such deadly strikes on residential areas that lhave all signs of war crimes have become almost a daily routine for the aviation of the international coalition,” Konashenkov noted.
“On October 21, Russian reconnaissance means detected airstrikes of two warplanes on Daquq town located near Kirkuk where no Daesh militants are present, according to our data,” Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said. “According to witnesses’ reports, a mourning procession has been mistakenly identified by the coalition’s aviation as a group of militants. Dozens of Iraqi civilians, including women and children died.”
The Russian Defense Ministry said that it monitores the operation to retake Mosul, adding the the US-led coalition aircraft have conducted 22 sorties and launched 19 airstrikes over the past 24 hours.
The incident in Daquq, Iraqi northern province of Kirkuk, took place on Friday reportedly leaving some 20 people dead and 45 injured. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that targeting mistakes by the member countries of the international coalition occur too often.
“Weddings, funerals, hospitals, police departments, humanitarian convoys and even Syrian troops, fighting against Daesh terrorists near Deir ez-Zor, become targets for coalition airstrikes,” Konashenkov stressed.
Iraq: 15 Shia Muslim Women Killed,
Dozens Wounded in Air Raid Near Kirkuk
Muslim News
KIRKUK, Iraq (October 22, 2016) — An airstrike left 15 Shia Muslim women dead and 50 injured after it hit a Shi’a Muslim shrine near the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, according to AFP reports, citing a local official and medic.
“Fifteen women were killed and another 50 wounded in a raid that targeted a Shiite place of worship at Dakuk,” local council chief Amir Huda Karam told AFP.
The agency reports that the number of those killed and injured has been confirmed by a local medic, Dr Abbas Mustafa Dakuki at the local hospital, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Kirkuk.
There is no information on who exactly carried out the alleged bombardment. Also there is no additional information on this attack.
In another report by basnews.com air attacks in Daquq and Tuz Khurmatu districts in southern Kirkuk on Friday killed and injured dozens of people. Head of Daquq security forces confirmed the reports to Kurdistan24 and revealed that nine people were killed and 15 others wounded by the bombardment in Daquq only. According to the official, the casualties are all civilians. There are no casualties reported in Tuz Khurmatu.
There are unconfirmed reports claiming that the bombs were dropped by an unidentified jet hovering over the area at that time. The Official said that the sound of warplanes were heard during the bombardment, but they cannot confirm an airstrike has taken place.
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