Deadly strike prompts suspension of west Mosul operations

Iraq's parliament speaker has expressed concern over reports of airstrikes that have allegedly killed more than 100 civilians in western Mosul as US-backed government troops fighting the Islamic State group said they were halting operations due to the high civilian death toll.

In tweets published on his official account, speaker Salim al-Jabouri said on Saturday "we realise the huge responsibility the liberating forces shoulder" and call on them to "spare no effort to save the civilians."

Al-Jabouri is a prominent Sunni Muslim politician in Iraq.

According to Reuters, quoting an Iraqi military spokesperson, Iraqi government forces have now suspended their push to recapture western Mosul from Islamic State militants because of the high rate of civilian casualties.

"The recent high death toll among civilians inside the Old City forced us to halt operations to review our plans," a Federal Police spokesman said on Saturday. "It's a time for weighing new offensive plans and tactics. No combat operations are to go on."

"We need to make sure that taking out Daesh (Islamic State) from the Old City will not cost unwanted high casualties among civilians. We need surgical accurate operations to target terrorists without causing collateral damage among residents," the Federal Police spokesman said.

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An army statement published in the al-Sabah state newspaper said that future operations would be carried out by ground troops highly trained for urban combat.

"Our heroic forces are committed to the rules of engagement which ensure protection of civilians" the statement said.

It was unclear who carried out the airstrikes, but Friday the US-led coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria said it was investigating the allegations.

On Saturday, the coalition acknowledged its assets were operating in the area where the casualties occured.

Residents reported two airstrikes hitting a residential area on March 13 and 17.

The Iraqi Defence Ministry has provided no immediate comment.