The US-led anti-jihadist coalition said Tuesday it &quot;probably&quot; played a role in civilian casualties in west Mosul, as the UN and Amnesty International called for greater efforts to protect civilians.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians are still inside west Mosul, caught up in deadly fighting between the Islamic State (IS) group and Iraqi forces who are backed by coalition air strikes in the battle to retake the area from the jihadists.

West Mosul is both smaller and more densely populated than the city&#39;s east, meaning that this stage of the battle poses a greater danger to civilians than those that came before.

&quot;We probably had a role in those casualties,&quot; Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, the commander of the US-led operation against IS, told reporters in a phone briefing from Baghdad, referring to civilians killed and wounded by aerial bombing in west Mosul.

&quot;If those innocents were killed, it was an unintentional accident of war,&quot; he said.

Townsend described the fighting in the narrow streets of Iraq&#39;s second city as the &quot;most significant urban combat&quot; since World War II and &quot;probably the toughest and most brutal close-quarters combat that I have experienced in my 35 years of service&quot;.

The coalition had previously said it carried out a strike on March 17 in an area of west Mosul in which civilian casualties were reported, and that it had opened an investigation.

Iraq is also investigating civilian deaths in west Mosul, but has sought to place the blame on IS.

UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Tuesday that more than 300 civilians have been killed in west Mosul since February 17.

IS has targeted civilians and used them as human shields, while strikes by anti-IS forces have also left civilians dead.

UN human rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein called on Iraqi and US-led coalition forces &quot;to undertake an urgent review of tactics to ensure that the impact on civilians is reduced to an absolute minimum&quot;.

IS&#39;s &quot;strategy of using children, men and women to shield themselves from attack is cowardly and disgraceful. It breaches the most basic standards of human dignity and morality,&quot; he said.

Amnesty&#39;s Donatella Rovera said field research in east Mosul -- which was recaptured from IS in January -- showed &quot;an alarming pattern of US-led coalition air strikes which have destroyed whole houses with entire families inside&quot;.

&nbsp;

Jihadists deployed among civilians

&quot;The high civilian toll suggests that coalition forces... have failed to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,&quot; she said.

In the east, the Iraqi forces adopted a strategy of encouraging civilians to stay at home, dropping leaflets into the city with safety instructions for residents.

&quot;The fact that Iraqi authorities repeatedly advised civilians to remain at home instead of fleeing the area, indicates that coalition forces should have known that these strikes were likely to result in a significant numbers of civilian casualties,&quot; Rovera said.

Amnesty quoted Waad Ahmad al-Tai, an east Mosul resident, as saying six members of his extended family -- including his nine-year-old son and three-year-old daughter -- were killed after they followed government advice not to flee the city.

&quot;We heard these instructions on the radio...Also leaflets were dropped by planes. This is why we stayed in our homes,&quot; he said.

Amnesty said that, in many cases it investigated, east Mosul residents said IS fighters had been present in or near houses targeted in the strikes.

In one case, five members of a family and their neighbour were killed in a raid on a house where IS fighters were hiding but the jihadists survived that attack, Amnesty quoted survivors as saying. That pattern has also been repeated in west Mosul, according to witnesses.

Two witnesses who have now fled the city said that a building with around 170 people inside was destroyed in the Mosul al-Jadida area.

One of them said that IS snipers had fired on Iraqi forces, after which an aircraft targeted them with a missile. Another man said that IS placed snipers atop a house where he was residing with more than 20 relatives.

He was told that an air strike hit the house, an attack he survived because he was away at the time.

More than 200,000 civilians have fled west Mosul since the battle for the area began, according to Iraqi authorities.

(AFP)

West Mosul is smaller and more densely populated than the city's east, meaning this stage of the battle poses a greater danger to civilians

The US-led anti-jihadist coalition said Tuesday it "probably" played a role in civilian casualties in west Mosul, as the UN and Amnesty International called for greater efforts to protect civilians. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are still inside west Mosul, caught up in deadly fighting between the Islamic State (IS) group and Iraqi forces who are backed by coalition air strikes in the battle to retake the area from the jihadists. West Mosul is both smaller and more densely populated than the city's east, meaning that this stage of the battle poses a greater danger to civilians than those that came before. "We probably had a role in those casualties," Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, the commander of the US-led operation against IS, told reporters in a phone briefing from Baghdad, referring to civilians killed and wounded by aerial bombing in west Mosul. "If those innocents were killed, it was an unintentional accident of war," he said. Townsend described the fighting in the narrow streets of Iraq's second city as the "most significant urban combat" since World War II and "probably the toughest and most brutal close-quarters combat that I have experienced in my 35 years of service". The coalition had previously said it carried out a strike on March 17 in an area of west Mosul in which civilian casualties were reported, and that it had opened an investigation. Iraq is also investigating civilian deaths in west Mosul, but has sought to place the blame on IS. UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Tuesday that more than 300 civilians have been killed in west Mosul since February 17. IS has targeted civilians and used them as human shields, while strikes by anti-IS forces have also left civilians dead. UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called on Iraqi and US-led coalition forces "to undertake an urgent review of tactics to ensure that the impact on civilians is reduced to an absolute minimum". IS's "strategy of using children, men and women to shield themselves from attack is cowardly and disgraceful. It breaches the most basic standards of human dignity and morality," he said. Amnesty's Donatella Rovera said field research in east Mosul -- which was recaptured from IS in January -- showed "an alarming pattern of US-led coalition air strikes which have destroyed whole houses with entire families inside". Jihadists deployed among civilians "The high civilian toll suggests that coalition forces... have failed to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law," she said. In the east, the Iraqi forces adopted a strategy of encouraging civilians to stay at home, dropping leaflets into the city with safety instructions for residents. "The fact that Iraqi authorities repeatedly advised civilians to remain at home instead of fleeing the area, indicates that coalition forces should have known that these strikes were likely to result in a significant numbers of civilian casualties," Rovera said. Amnesty quoted Waad Ahmad al-Tai, an east Mosul resident, as saying six members of his extended family -- including his nine-year-old son and three-year-old daughter -- were killed after they followed government advice not to flee the city. "We heard these instructions on the radio...Also leaflets were dropped by planes. This is why we stayed in our homes," he said. Amnesty said that, in many cases it investigated, east Mosul residents said IS fighters had been present in or near houses targeted in the strikes. In one case, five members of a family and their neighbour were killed in a raid on a house where IS fighters were hiding but the jihadists survived that attack, Amnesty quoted survivors as saying. That pattern has also been repeated in west Mosul, according to witnesses. Two witnesses who have now fled the city said that a building with around 170 people inside was destroyed in the Mosul al-Jadida area. One of them said that IS snipers had fired on Iraqi forces, after which an aircraft targeted them with a missile. Another man said that IS placed snipers atop a house where he was residing with more than 20 relatives. He was told that an air strike hit the house, an attack he survived because he was away at the time. More than 200,000 civilians have fled west Mosul since the battle for the area began, according to Iraqi authorities. (AFP)

US-led coalition 'probably' had role in Mosul civilian casualties

The United Nations on Sunday rushed to build more shelters ahead of an expected mass displacement as as Iraqi forces launched their offensive to retake west Mosul,the last major stronghold IS has in Iraq.

&quot;We are racing against the clock to prepare emergency sites south of Mosul to receive displaced families,&quot; the UN&#39;s humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, Lise Grande, said in a statement, AFP reported.

&quot;The humanitarian operation is already stretched. We are trying to reach more than six million people across Iraq who need help. We don&#39;t have all of the funding we need and many partners are facing major capacity constraints,&quot; she said.

On Sunday, Iraqi federal forces launched a new phase of the four-month-old offensive to retake Mosul.

Forces recaptured at least five villages and were heading towards the airport, as part of a push which is aimed at retaking the city&#39;s west.

Iraqi government forces had cleared the eastern side last month, and while fewer people than estimated &nbsp;fled their homes, the UN said a total of 217,000 people have been displaced since the Mosul operation started on October 17.

The UN said a total of 57,000 had already returned to their homes.

Around 350,000 children are currently trapped in western Mosul, Save the Children warned on Sunday, AFP reported.

&quot;Iraqi forces and their allies, including the US and UK, must do everything in their power to protect children and their families from harm, and avoid civilian buildings like schools and hospitals as they push deeper into the city,&quot; said the London-based charity&#39;s Iraq country director, Maurizio Crivallero, AFP reported.

Crivallero added that escape is not an option for most families, who not only risk summary execution by fighters from IS, sniper fire and landmines but are also running out of basic necessities like food, water and medicine.

&quot;This is the grim choice for children in western Mosul right now: bombs, crossfire and hunger if they stay &nbsp;or execution and snipers if they try to run,&quot; Crivallero said in a statement, AFP reported.

He added, &quot;Safe escape routes for civilians must also be established as soon as possible.&quot;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

Around 350,000 children are trapped in western Mosul, NGO Save the Children warned on Sunday

The United Nations on Sunday rushed to build more shelters ahead of an expected mass displacement as as Iraqi forces launched their offensive to retake west Mosul,the last major stronghold IS has in Iraq. "We are racing against the clock to prepare emergency sites south of Mosul to receive displaced families," the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, Lise Grande, said in a statement, AFP reported. "The humanitarian operation is already stretched. We are trying to reach more than six million people across Iraq who need help. We don't have all of the funding we need and many partners are facing major capacity constraints," she said. On Sunday, Iraqi federal forces launched a new phase of the four-month-old offensive to retake Mosul. Forces recaptured at least five villages and were heading towards the airport, as part of a push which is aimed at retaking the city's west. Iraqi government forces had cleared the eastern side last month, and while fewer people than estimated fled their homes, the UN said a total of 217,000 people have been displaced since the Mosul operation started on October 17. The UN said a total of 57,000 had already returned to their homes. Around 350,000 children are currently trapped in western Mosul, Save the Children warned on Sunday, AFP reported. "Iraqi forces and their allies, including the US and UK, must do everything in their power to protect children and their families from harm, and avoid civilian buildings like schools and hospitals as they push deeper into the city," said the London-based charity's Iraq country director, Maurizio Crivallero, AFP reported. Crivallero added that escape is not an option for most families, who not only risk summary execution by fighters from IS, sniper fire and landmines but are also running out of basic necessities like food, water and medicine. "This is the grim choice for children in western Mosul right now: bombs, crossfire and hunger if they stay or execution and snipers if they try to run," Crivallero said in a statement, AFP reported. He added, "Safe escape routes for civilians must also be established as soon as possible." (WION with inputs from AFP)

UN prepares for exodus as Iraqi forces make headway into west Mosul

Iraqi forces launched an offensive on jihadists defending Mosul`s west bank Sunday, in what could be the most brutal fighting yet in a four-month-old operation on the city.

&quot;Our forces are beginning the liberation of the citizens from the terror of Daesh,&quot; Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a short televised speech, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group.

&quot;We announce the start of a new phase in the operation. We are coming, Nineveh, to liberate the western side of Mosul,&quot; he said, referring to the province of which Mosul is the capital.

Federal police and interior ministry forces were expected to start the new phase in the offensive by moving on Mosul airport, which is on the southern edge of the city, west of the Tigris River.

The jihadists have put up stiff resistance to defend Mosul, their last major stronghold in Iraq and the place where their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a &quot;caliphate&quot; in 2014.

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After shaping operations around Mosul, it took Iraq`s most seasoned forces -- the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) -- more than two months to clear the eastern side of Mosul.

After a pause in the operation launched on October 17, federal forces now face what was always billed as the toughest nut to crack: Mosul`s west bank, home to the narrow streets of the Old City.

&quot;West Mosul had the potential certainly of being more difficult, with house-to-house fighting on a larger and more bloody scale,&quot; said Patrick Skinner, from the Soufan Group intelligence consultancy.

The streets around the historical centre, which includes the mosque in which Baghdadi made his only public appearance in June 2014, will be impassable for many military vehicles and force government fighters to take on IS in perilous dismounted warfare. 
 
Prior to the offensive that saw IS seize Mosul and much of Iraq`s Sunni Arab heartland nearly three years ago, the east bank was more ethnically diverse than the west, where analysts believe the jihadists could enjoy more support.&quot;IS resistance could be greater in this area and it will be harder, but all the more important, to completely clear the networks from Mosul after its recapture,&quot; said Emily Anagnostos, Iraq analyst at the Institute for the Study of War.

While the federal forces` attrition is said to be high, IS`s had been undoubtedly higher and commanders have said the jihadists may no longer have the resources to defend east Mosul effectively.&nbsp;

Recent incidents in liberated east point to the difficulty of ensuring remnants of IS have not blended in with the civilian population in a huge city which most residents did not flee ahead of the government offensive.

Aid organisations had feared an exodus of unprecedented proportions before the start of the Mosul operation but half a million -- a significant majority -- of residents stayed home.

Their continued presence prevented both sides from resorting to deadlier weaponry, which may have slowed down the battle but averted a potentially much more serious humanitarian emergency in the middle of winter as well as more extensive material damage to the city.

&quot;Mosul is going better than we expected, but there are serious dangers ahead,&quot; Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, told AFP.

Residents of west Mosul have reported very difficult living conditions and warned that they were already low on food, with weeks of fighting expected to lie ahead.

IS fighters and Mosul residents remained able to move across both sides of the city during much of the fighting in the east but all bridges across the Tigris have now been dropped and the jihadists in the west are all but besieged.

IS has used civilians as human shields as part of its defence tactics and killed residents attempting to flee, making it both difficult and dangerous for the population to escape.

While specialised units may attempt to throw pontoon bridges across the river to attack from the east, the main initial assault of the upcoming phase in the Mosul is expected to come from the south on the city`s airport.

Army, police, interior ministry and special forces have been gearing up for the push on Mosul`s southern front, with a large concentration of fighters based out of Hammam al-Alil.&nbsp;

(AFP)

'Our forces are beginning the liberation of the citizens from the terror of Daesh,' Haider al-Abadi said in a short televised speech

Iraqi forces launched an offensive on jihadists defending Mosul`s west bank Sunday, in what could be the most brutal fighting yet in a four-month-old operation on the city. "Our forces are beginning the liberation of the citizens from the terror of Daesh," Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a short televised speech, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. "We announce the start of a new phase in the operation. We are coming, Nineveh, to liberate the western side of Mosul," he said, referring to the province of which Mosul is the capital. Federal police and interior ministry forces were expected to start the new phase in the offensive by moving on Mosul airport, which is on the southern edge of the city, west of the Tigris River. The jihadists have put up stiff resistance to defend Mosul, their last major stronghold in Iraq and the place where their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a "caliphate" in 2014. West Mosul had the potential certainly of being more difficult, with house-to-house fighting on a larger and more bloody scale,' said Patrick Skinner, from the Soufan Group intelligence consultancy × After shaping operations around Mosul, it took Iraq`s most seasoned forces -- the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) -- more than two months to clear the eastern side of Mosul. After a pause in the operation launched on October 17, federal forces now face what was always billed as the toughest nut to crack: Mosul`s west bank, home to the narrow streets of the Old City. "West Mosul had the potential certainly of being more difficult, with house-to-house fighting on a larger and more bloody scale," said Patrick Skinner, from the Soufan Group intelligence consultancy. The streets around the historical centre, which includes the mosque in which Baghdadi made his only public appearance in June 2014, will be impassable for many military vehicles and force government fighters to take on IS in perilous dismounted warfare. Prior to the offensive that saw IS seize Mosul and much of Iraq`s Sunni Arab heartland nearly three years ago, the east bank was more ethnically diverse than the west, where analysts believe the jihadists could enjoy more support."IS resistance could be greater in this area and it will be harder, but all the more important, to completely clear the networks from Mosul after its recapture," said Emily Anagnostos, Iraq analyst at the Institute for the Study of War. While the federal forces` attrition is said to be high, IS`s had been undoubtedly higher and commanders have said the jihadists may no longer have the resources to defend east Mosul effectively. Recent incidents in liberated east point to the difficulty of ensuring remnants of IS have not blended in with the civilian population in a huge city which most residents did not flee ahead of the government offensive. Aid organisations had feared an exodus of unprecedented proportions before the start of the Mosul operation but half a million -- a significant majority -- of residents stayed home. Their continued presence prevented both sides from resorting to deadlier weaponry, which may have slowed down the battle but averted a potentially much more serious humanitarian emergency in the middle of winter as well as more extensive material damage to the city. "Mosul is going better than we expected, but there are serious dangers ahead," Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, told AFP. Residents of west Mosul have reported very difficult living conditions and warned that they were already low on food, with weeks of fighting expected to lie ahead. IS fighters and Mosul residents remained able to move across both sides of the city during much of the fighting in the east but all bridges across the Tigris have now been dropped and the jihadists in the west are all but besieged. IS has used civilians as human shields as part of its defence tactics and killed residents attempting to flee, making it both difficult and dangerous for the population to escape. While specialised units may attempt to throw pontoon bridges across the river to attack from the east, the main initial assault of the upcoming phase in the Mosul is expected to come from the south on the city`s airport. Army, police, interior ministry and special forces have been gearing up for the push on Mosul`s southern front, with a large concentration of fighters based out of Hammam al-Alil. (AFP)

Iraqi forces launch operation to retake west Mosul: PM

The Iraqi air force has dropped millions of leaflets on the western side of Mosul telling the population that a ground offensive to dislodge Islamic State from their neighbourhoods is imminent, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

The militants are essentially under siege in western Mosul, along with an estimated 650,000 civilians, after US-backed forces surrounding the city dislodged them from the east in the first phase of an offensive that concluded last month.

The leaflets &quot;contain instructions for the citizens to get ready to welcome the Iraqi forces that are coming to liberate their areas and to warn the Daesh (Islamic State) members to lay down their weapons and surrender&quot;, the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The leaflets warn Islamic State members 'to lay down their weapons and surrender'

The Iraqi air force has dropped millions of leaflets on the western side of Mosul telling the population that a ground offensive to dislodge Islamic State from their neighbourhoods is imminent, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday. The militants are essentially under siege in western Mosul, along with an estimated 650,000 civilians, after US-backed forces surrounding the city dislodged them from the east in the first phase of an offensive that concluded last month. The leaflets "contain instructions for the citizens to get ready to welcome the Iraqi forces that are coming to liberate their areas and to warn the Daesh (Islamic State) members to lay down their weapons and surrender", the ministry said in a statement. (Reuters)

Iraqi planes drop leaflets on west Mosul to say offensive is imminent

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US-led coalition 'probably' had role in Mosul civilian casualties

UN prepares for exodus as Iraqi forces make headway into west Mosul

Iraqi forces launch operation to retake west Mosul: PM

Iraqi planes drop leaflets on west Mosul to say offensive is imminent