As a result of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Somalia in 2019, at least 132 civilians were killed in these countries, according to a Pentagon report released Wednesday.
“All Defense Department operations in 2019 were conducted in accordance with the requirements of the law of war, including the law on the protection of civilians, – ” the document said, approved by the U.S. Congress.
The report states that the principles of “proportionality” were applied in the operations, and possible precautions were taken in their planning “to reduce the risk of harm to civilians and other persons and facilities.
Human rights defenders believe that the data provided in the report are seriously underestimated. According to the monitoring organization Airwars, in the first half of the year alone, 400 to 1,000 civilians died in Iraq and Syria as a result of American operations.
The report acknowledges that the Pentagon’s data on losses among the population differ from the data of different structures.
“Some organizations conduct assessments and surveys on the ground, while others rely heavily on media reports. While such information can be valuable, it may not be complete in itself and it is important to ensure its accuracy”, – the document notes.