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Istanbul - Hundreds of civilians have been killed in air strikes by the United States-led coalition against the Islamic State extremist group in Iraq and Syria, a research group reported on Monday.
The group, Airwars, says that between 459 and 591 civilians and 48 to 80 allied forces were killed in 57 incidents over the past year, although the numbers could be higher.
The coalition - which started its bombing campaign after Islamic State (ISIS) massacred thousands of the Yezidi minority in the Sinjar region of Iraq - has opened investigations into 10 incidents and has admitted to two civilian deaths.
"The public record clearly suggests a significant under-reporting of civilian deaths by the Coalition," read a statement from the group, which is focused on monitoring airstrikes.
The US-led campaign, which began in August 2014, has seen 5 800 air strikes that include more than 18 000 bombs and missiles, the data collected shows.
Airwars said it is difficult to know which members of the coalition are involved in the problematic airstrikes.
The challenges of reporting on the ground and the use of alleged incidents as propaganda by various warring parties makes confirming cases of civilian deaths difficult.
