Panic spreads in Iraq, Syria as record numbers of civilians are reported killed in U.S. strikes

An elderly man sits speaking incoherently amid the rubble of a building in the Mosul al-Jadida neighborhood of Mosul, Iraq, on March 24. (Alice Martins for The Washington Post)

By Loveday Morris and Liz Sly March 28 at 4:04 PM

MOSUL, Iraq — A sharp rise in the number of civilians reported killed in U.S.-led airstrikes in Iraq and Syria is spreading panic, deepening mistrust and triggering accusations that the United States and its partners may be acting without sufficient regard for lives of noncombatants.

The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq has taken every measure to protect civilians and will investigate reports of civilian deaths during an operation in Mosul, U.S. Brig. Gen. Matthew Isler said on March 26. (Reuters)

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