In the days following the March 17 airstrike, U.S. officials had said they were unsure whether American forces were behind the attack. U.S.-backed government troops were fighting IS forces in that area of western Mosul, the statement said. He added that since the attack on western Mosul began last month, "we have managed to capture more than 1,300" cases. Humanitarian and monitoring officials warned of increased civilian casualties in western Mosul due to the increased reliance on airstrikes and artillery. Backed by U.S.-led international coalition, Iraqi forces launched an operation in February to drive IS from the western half of Iraq's second-largest city, after declaring eastern Mosul "fully liberated" the previous month.

Source: ABC News March 25, 2017 13:50 UTC