美军空袭摩苏尔造成重大平民伤亡

The US military has confirmed that forces in the coalition it leads carried out an air strike in the Iraqi city of Mosul that locals say killed more than 200 civilians, as the death toll from the campaign against Isis rises.

美国军方证实，它领导的联军在伊拉克摩苏尔发起了一次空袭行动，据当地人表示，此次空袭导致逾200名平民丧生。在打击“伊拉克和黎凡特伊斯兰国”(ISIS)的战争中，死亡人数日益增长。

In a statement issued yesterday, US Central Command said that “an initial review of strike data” indicated that the US-led anti-Isis coalition “struck Isis fighters and equipment, March 17, in West Mosul at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties”.

美国中央司令部(US Central Command)在昨日的声明中表示，“对空袭数据的初步审视”发现，由美国领导的打击ISIS联军“于3月17日在摩苏尔西部空袭了ISIS的武装人员和装备，空袭地点符合关于平民伤亡的指控中的描述。”

The military added that the strike was at the request of Iraqi security forces and that it was opening an investigation “to determine the facts surrounding this strike and the validity of the allegation of civilian casualties”.

美国军方补充称，此次空袭是应伊拉克安全部门的要求实施的，它正在展开调查“以查明有关这次空袭的事实、确定有关平民伤亡的指控是否真实”。

The civilian death toll in Iraq and Syria is rising as the coalition carries out air strikes against the jihadis, who hold territory in both countries. The battle has been particularly intense in Mosul, one of Isis’s most prized strongholds, where Iraqi government forces are trying to reclaim the west of the city having already recaptured the east.

随着联军对在伊拉克和叙利亚都占据地盘的圣战分子展开空袭行动，这两个国家的平民伤亡人数上升。联军对摩苏尔的打击强度尤其大，后者是ISIS最重视的要塞之一。伊拉克政府军已经收复摩苏尔东部，目前正试图收回该城市西部地区。

President Donald Trump has also called for more aggressive tactics against Isis, and his administration has been reportedly considering new rules of engagement.

美国总统唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)也呼吁对ISIS采取更为激进的战术，有报道称，特朗普政府正考虑制定新的作战规则。

Officially, there has been no change, but groups such as Airwars, a non-governmental organisation that monitors the anti-Isis operations, say there has been a dramatic rise in civilian casualties. In the past two weeks alone, hundreds of civilians have been killed by coalition strikes in Syria and Iraq.

官方数字没有任何改变，但监督打击ISIS行动的非政府组织Airwars等机构表示，平民伤亡人数大幅增长。仅在过去两周里，联军在叙利亚和伊拉克的空袭已造成数百名平民死亡。

“Our goal has always been for zero civilian casualties, but the coalition will not abandon our commitment to our Iraqi partners because of Isis’s inhuman tactics of terrorising civilians, using human shields, and fighting from protected sites such as schools, hospitals, religious sites and civilian neighbourhoods,” the US military statement said.

美国军方在声明中表示：“我们的目标始终是平民零伤亡，但联军不会因为ISIS的种种非人道策略——胁迫平民、使用人肉盾牌以及在学校、医院、宗教场所和平民社区等受保护区域作战，而放弃我们对伊拉克合作伙伴的承诺。”

But many locals see the incident differently. “For the sake of taking out an Isis vehicle, or some Isis snipers on a roof, they’re willing to kill dozens of innocent people?” asked one Mosul resident, who asked not to be named.

但许多当地人并不这么认为。摩苏尔一位要求匿名的当地人表示：“为了干掉ISIS的一辆车或者屋顶上的一些狙击手，他们就愿意杀死数十名无辜的平民?”

Local officials say 240 bodies have been pulled from collapsed buildings.

当地官员表示，从倒塌的建筑物里拖出了240具尸体。