U.S. confirms additional civilian casualties from airstrikes

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military says American airstrikes likely killed two civilians near the Islamic State group’s defacto capital of Raqqa, Syria, last July. That’s on top of eight other civilian deaths the military acknowledged last week.

U.S. Central Command said Friday that four other civilians were injured in three other July airstrikes in Syria and Iraq. It expressed regret for all the casualties.

In last week’s report, Central Command said eight were killed and three injured in a total of five airstrikes in Iraq and Syria between April 12 and July 4.

Friday’s statement said one additional civilian was killed in a July 4 airstrike against bridges near Raqqa, and one was killed in a July 11 airstrike near Raqqa that caused a secondary explosion from a vehicle crossing a bridge.