U.S.-led coalition airstrikes “may have killed Iraqi soldiers”December 19, 2015 - 10:34 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - An air strike by the U.S.-led coalition during an offensive against so-called Islamic State (IS) may have killed Iraqi soldiers, the U.S. military said, according to the BBC News. "Initial reports indicate the possibility one of the strikes resulted in the death of Iraqi soldiers," the U.S. military said in a statement. An officer and nine soldiers died or were wounded in the incident, Iraq's joint operations command said. Iraqi forces have been battling militants in Anbar province. The air strike during close combat near Fallujah caused casualties on both sides, Iraq's joint operations command said. Iraqi army units had been advancing on IS positions near Fallujah but could not be supported by the Iraqi air force due to bad weather, the command said. Coalition air forces carried out two strikes in response to an Iraqi request for support, it said, enabling Iraqi soldiers to advance rapidly and engage the jihadists in close combat. "A third coalition strike carried out without taking into account the distance that had been covered resulted in injuries among our forces too," the command said in a statement. The U.S. military said it was the first reported incident of so-called "friendly fire" during Operation Inherent Resolve, which aims to drive IS militants out of Anbar province. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |