U.S. military used 'roof knock' tactic in Iraq to try to warn civilians before bombing

Source: Reuters

U.S. military used 'roof knock' tactic in Iraq to try to warn civilians before bombing
By Yeganeh Torbati and Idrees Ali
April 26, 2016

By Yeganeh Torbati and Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States borrowed an Israeli military tactic known as "roof knocking" to try to warn civilians before it dropped a bomb targeting Islamic State fighters in Iraq this month, but a woman was killed in the attack, a U.S. military official said on Tuesday.

The controversial tactic consists of firing a warning missile above or near an intended target, to give residents time to flee before the real strike.

The Israeli military used such "roof knocks" in the 2014 Gaza war, but a United Nations commission found in 2015 that the tactic was not effective, because it often caused confusion and did not give residents enough time to escape.

The United States used the tactic in an April 5 operation in the Iraqi city of Mosul. One woman who initially did leave the targeted building but then ran back inside was killed, a U.S. defense official said.


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