RAAF admits up to 18 civilians could have died in air attack on Islamic State fighters in Iraq

The Australian air force has admitted one of its bombs may have killed up to 18 civilians as RAAF jets struck Islamic State fighters in an apartment complex at the height of ferocious fighting in the battle to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul in mid-2017.

Australian Defence Force Chief of Joint Operations, Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld, confirmed tonight the ADF believed reports that a strike in Mosul killed civilians was “credible”, though he said its investigation could not confirm details of the incident.

The strike happened in June 2017 as Iraqi ground forces under heavy fire advanced on IS positions.

Air Marshal Hupfeld said the RAAF received a request for an air strike on buildings within a complex where IS fighters had been seen setting up heavy weapons only 70m from Iraqi troops.

“Based on the proximity of the enemy to the Iraqi forces, the nature of the target, and the circumstances of the fighting in Mosul at the time, this action complied with Australia’s rules of engagement and the laws of armed conflict,” he said.

Conflict-monitoring website Airwars.org first reported the civilian deaths in January last year, saying combined strikes by US-led coalition aircraft may have caused up to 34 deaths, including Iraqi Imam Sheikh Mohammed Ghanim Al-Saffar and members of his extended family.

Air Marshal Hupfeld said the organisation’s report of civilian casualties was “credible”, but the Australian assessment of likely deaths was six to 18.

“There is a degree of uncertainty around this incident,” he said. “The Australian strike does not precisely correspond with the information provided in the claim — however it was close by.”

Air Marshal Hupfeld said the Australian aircrew involved in the strike had been cleared of any suggestion they had made an error, saying there was no intelligence to indicate civilians were present and the urgency of the threat to Iraqi forces made it impossible to be certain.

“We’re very cognisant of the risk of inflicting civilian casualties in a very complex war zone,” he said.