“After a comprehensive review, time & location of the alleged incident does not correlate” with any coalition airstrike, Col. John Dorrian spokesperson for the US-led coalition tweeted on Saturday.
The Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi released a statement alleging that the location of their meeting with the Iraqi leader had been bombed, injuring a number of their fighters.
“After inspecting the type of missile and its damage we found out that it was not the work of ISIS,” reads their statement. “It was a laser-guided missile and fired from a plane.”
According to Dorrian, the coalition’s nearest airstrike on Thursday was 9 kilometres away.
.@OIRSpox is aware of allegations the Coaltion delivered ordnance at Tal Afar airport Nov 24. Our nearest strike to that area was 9km away.
— OIR Spokesman (@OIRSpox) November 26, 2016
The coalition carried out one airstrike near Tal Afar on Thursday, destroying a VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) factory, according to the Combined Joint Task Force’s daily information release on coalition airstrikes.
The Hashd alleged that coalition planes had been flying over the site prior to and during Abadi’s visit.
The Shiite force, which the Iraqi parliament voted to recognize as an official force with, is engaging ISIS west of Mosul with the aim of encircling Tal Afar and isolating militants in Mosul from those in Syria.
