US shelling mistakenly kills 7 in Iraq’s Anbar

By Suleiman al-Qubaisi and Ali Jawad

BAGHDAD (AA) – Seven Iraqis were mistakenly killed in a U.S. shelling in Iraq’s western Anbar province on Saturday, according to an Iraqi police officer.

A joint U.S.-Iraqi force carried out an arrest operation in al-Baghdadi district, 90 km west of Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar province, Capt. Ahmed al-Dulaimi told Anadolu Agency.

“Security forces and civilians came under shelling from an aircraft supporting the operation,” he said.

He said seven troops and civilians were killed and 11 others injured in the shelling.

Among those killed are the district governor Sharhabi al-Obeidi and police chief Salam al-Obeidi, he said.

The Iraqi Defense Ministry confirmed the attack, saying in a statement that it has launched an investigation into the incident.
There was no comment from the U.S.-led coalition on the incident.

U.S. forces are stationed at the Ain al-Assad base in al-Baghdadi district for providing support to Iraqi forces fighting the Daesh terrorist group.

At least 817 civilians have been killed in attacks by the U.S.-led coalition fighting Daesh in Syria and Iraq since 2014, according to figures released by the U.S. Central Command.

Daesh has been driven out by Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led coalition warplanes, from territory overran by the terrorist group in northern and western Iraq in 2014.