Smoke rises from an airstrike during a battle between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants in western Mosul. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani
USA Today: U.S.-led coalition increases airstrikes by 50% against Islamic State
The U.S.-led coalition has increased the number of bombs dropped on the Islamic State by about 50% this year, reflecting the progress U.S.-backed ground forces have had in pushing militants out of key strongholds in Iraq and Syria.
A total of 14,192 rockets, bombs and other munitions were dropped in the first four months of this year, up from 9,442 during the same period in 2016, according to the latest monthly statistics from U.S. Air Forces Central Command.
The expansion of airstrikes "can be attributed to the increased pace of operations in both Iraq and Syria as we target and destroy ISIS," Lt. Col. Damien Pickart, a spokesman for Air Forces Central Command, said Tuesday, using an acronym for the Islamic State.
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WNU Editor: They say that they have kept civilian casualties to a minimal .... but when you drop over 14,000 bombs .... with many of them hitting urban areas .... common sense dictates that civilian casualties must be sky-high. Here is an easy prediction .... with the end-game near in the battle for Mosul and with the Raqqa campaign a month or two away .... this bombing campaign is going to escalate even more.
