To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of (a) civilian casualties, (b) damage to property, community facilities and infrastructure by RAF strikes in Mosul in 2016-17. (180811)
Tabled on: 17 October 2018
Answer:
Mark Lancaster:
The RAF does everything it can to minimise the risk to human life and to civilian infrastructure from UK strikes, through our rigorous targeting processes and the professionalism of the RAF crews. All RAF weapons are deployed in strict accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict and rigorous Rules of Engagement.
Thus all strikes we carried out in Mosul were designed to cause the minimum amount of damage, proportionate to the task of clearing the city of the terrorist threat posed by Daesh.
Given the ruthless and inhumane behaviour of Daesh, we must accept that the risk of inadvertent civilian casualties is ever present. We have not seen any evidence that we caused civilian casualties during the campaign in Mosul.
The answer was submitted on 29 Oct 2018 at 16:55.
Ronnie Cowan MP 