USA defense officials warn of more Islamic State attacks

U.S. Central Command says that investigations concluded that the strikes complied with the laws on armed conflict and that appropriate precautions were taken.

U.S. Central Command announced the results of several civilian casualty assessments January 15, 2016. It is assessed three unidentified civilians were likely killed.

On June 19, a strike against two Islamic State vehicles near Tall al Adwaniyah, Syria, injured a civilian who appeared in the target area after the USA aircraft released its weapon, the military said.

“After the United States aircraft engaged the target and two seconds prior to impact, a auto slowed in front of the Isis vehicles while a motorcycle simultaneously passed by”, a Centcom spokesperson said.

Regarding two incidents – one in April Huwayjah, Iraqin al On an April 12 and June 11 2015 incident in al Huwayjah, Iraq and Soluk Syria respectively, CENTCOM gave no reason for the death of five civilians in total-three at each site.

It was only the third time since the start of the US-led air campaign against Islamic State in 2014 that the U.S. military’s Central Commander has disclosed civilian casualties following its internal investigations. And two people were believed injured in June in Iraq when their vehicles moved into the strike zone.

Britain joined the US-led coalition of a dozen nations bombing Syria in December, while Russian Federation is co-ordinating its operation with the Syrian government and Iran and an Islamic Military Alliance has been formed by Saudi Arabia. USA advisers and special operations personnel were gaining ground back from Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

A White House fact sheet released Friday claimed that airstrikes have destroyed more than 3,450 vehicles and tanks, more than 1,120 artillery and mortar positions, 1,170 oil storage tanks and other oil infrastructure, and more than 13,500 checkpoints, buildings, bunkers, barracks and training camps.

The declassified number from USA agencies may not match those by human rights organizations, the official said, because the figures released by those organizations may have included casualties by other coalition partners.

The militant group, which swept through vast rgions of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and 2015 and captured a string of cities, has seen recent setbacks across its self-proclaimed caliphate, including the loss of the key Iraqi city of Ramadi to US-supported local forces.