U.S. Central Command has opened an investigation into recent reports that scores of Iraqi civilians were killed by a U.S.-led coalition airstrike in Mosul, the top commander in the Middle East said Wednesday.
Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, testified before the House Armed Services Committee that its initial assessment of the blast has morphed into a formal investigation.
Votel said he agreed with the evaluation by Gen. Stephen Townsend, who commands the American-led task force battling the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, that “there’s a fair chance” a U.S. strike killed civilians in West Mosul on March 17.
“I would highlight to each of you that this investigation continues and there is still much to learn,” Votel told lawmakers.
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