Dempsey: US careful in Iraq airstrikes to avoid civilian casualties

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Chairman of the US Joint Chief of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey said in Baghdad Monday that the US-led coalition is being careful in its use of airstrikes in order to avoid civilian casualties.

In a news conference with Iraqi Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi in the Iraqi capital, he said the US does not want to inflict additional suffering on the Iraqi people as it continues to target Islamic State (ISIS) militants.

Prior to arriving in Baghdad, Dempsey said that Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government should deliver on its promise to reconcile the Sunni’s large Sunni minority.

Dempsey also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and senior US officials during his brief visit.

With reporting from Associated Press