Russia: US Covering Up Daesh Crimes in Iraq’s Mosul

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov made the accusation on Sunday, days after US military spokesman Joseph Scrocca said there was a video showing Daesh trying to bait US into killing civilians in Mosul. However, the footage is yet to be released.

“What motives is the US command driven by when they hide the war crimes of terrorists from the international community behind the veil of secrecy?” Konashenkov said, Press TV reported.

“Why does the US-led … coalition, with this information, using their ‘smart bombs’ still carry out airstrikes on buildings with civilians?” he added.

On March 17, the US bombarded a building in Mosul’s western al-Jadida district, where Iraqi forces are fighting against Takfiri elements. Over 200 civilians, including women and children, are believed to have been killed in the aerial assault which caused the building to collapse.

The Pentagon acknowledged in a statement that the US had carried out the fatal attack. However, the US military is said to be conducting an investigation into whether it was US munitions, Daesh explosives or both that caused the building to collapse.

Elsewhere in his comments, Konashenkov said Washington was seeking to justify mass civilian casualties of its bombing campaign.