Coalition coordinates with Baghdad to strike IS in protected sites: Spokesperson

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The US-led coalition is in coordination with the federal government of Iraq to shell the Islamic State (IS) extremists who hide in protected sites, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.

During a press conference with Iraqi and Peshmerga commanders, the US-led coalition spokesperson Col. John Dorrian said the extremists were hiding in protected sites such as schools, hospitals, and mosques to prevent the coalition warplanes from striking them.

Those sites have been protected from being targeted under international law.

Dorrian mentioned the IS leader Abu Bakir al-Baghdadi “is in hiding because he knows that as soon as he is found, he will be killed.”

He stated the coalition warplanes had conducted about 7,000 air strikes on the insurgent’s bases so far.

Moreover, Dorrian claimed the extremists told the people of Mosul the Iraqi army and coalition jets would kill them if they left the city.

IS told people if they fled coalition warplanes would target them but, in fact, it was IS who struck them with their Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) known as drones, according to Dorrian.

“As progress has been made, the people of Mosul have seen that [IS] has been telling them lies,” Dorrian explained.

The spokesperson also highlighted the current successes of the Mosul operation were due to the cooperation between the Iraqi army and Peshmerga forces with the support of the coalition countries.

IS controlled Mosul in June 2014 and shortly began occupying other parts of Iraq.

Iraqi and Peshmerga forces launched the military offensive to retake the city on Oct. 17, 2016.

The operation is ongoing as Iraqi troops head toward the center and west side of the city.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany