Iraq, US Investigate Mass Civilian Deaths in Mosul

The U.S. led coalition in Iraq says it is investigating reports that coalition airstrikes killed as many as 100 civilians in western Mosul this month.
本月美国联军空袭摩苏尔西部，事件共造成100人死亡，驻伊拉克美国联军称其目前正在调查此次空袭行动。
Military officials called the death of civilians in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul “a terrible tragedy.”
军方高官称伊拉克北部城市摩苏尔平民的死亡为“可怕的悲剧。”
The U.S. Defense Department has said an early examination showed coalition warplanes attacked at the place where civilians reportedly were killed on March 17.
美国国防部表示，一次早期的审查显示联军战机袭击了某地，而该地区的平民于3月17日死亡。
Iraqi forces, with coalition air support, are working to capture western Mosul from Islamic State fighters.The Islamic State group has controlled the area since 2014.
伊拉克武装有了美国联军的空军支援，正努力捕获摩苏尔西部的伊斯兰武装分子。伊斯兰国家自2014年起就控制了该地区。
The head of U.S. Central Command said Sunday that coalition forces will continue taking what he called “extraordinary measures to avoid harming civilians.”
周日美国中央指挥部司令称，联军将持续采取他所称的“不寻常的措施来避免伤害平民。”
General Joseph Votel said, "While Iraq’s security forces are making measurable progress, the fight in Mosul is a difficult one, and particularly because the enemy operates amongst the civilian population.”
约瑟夫·付特尔将军称，“虽然伊拉克安全部队的工作有了重大的进展，但摩苏尔的战斗很难攻克，尤其因为敌军在平民区展开行动。”
The Iraqi military has suggested that Islamic State fighters were responsible for the deaths on March 17.It said new evidence suggests that Islamic State fighters placed explosives at the site.
伊拉克军认为，伊斯兰武装分子需对3月17日发生的平民死亡事件承担责任。新的证据表明，伊斯兰武装分子在某些地点安置了炸药。
The Iraqi military’s Joint Command said, “All of the building’s walls were rigged with bombs and there is no hole or signs that it was an airstrike target.”
伊拉克军方联合指挥部称，“所有建筑物的墙都安置了炸弹，根本无法看出这里是空袭目标。”
More than 500,000 civilians are believed to be living in Islamic State-held areas of Mosul.Reports say Islamic State extremists use civilians as human shields against Iraqi forces.
50多万人住在摩苏尔被伊斯兰控制的区域。报道称，伊斯兰极端分子将平民作为人体盾牌，以对抗伊拉克军队。
VOA spoke Sunday to 28-year-old Ammar Hazzim who had just arrived at a refugee camp near Mosul.
周日，VOA对话28岁的阿玛尔·哈泽木，他刚刚到达了摩苏尔附近的难民营。
He said, “We tried to run the day before yesterday, but Islamic State militants executed 21 people that day for fleeing, including women. Today, we decided we had to go.”
他称，“前天我们曾尝试逃跑，但那天伊斯兰激进分子杀害了包括妇女在内的21人，他们都是因为逃跑才被杀死的。今天我们决定必须离开。”
Hazzim said there had been much violence in his neighborhood, called New Mosul, in the past month.He said an airstrike there 40 days ago killed his brother and his brother’s three children.
哈泽木称，过去一个月，他附近的新摩苏尔地区战火更加强烈。他称，40天前，他的哥哥和哥哥的三个孩子均死于空袭。
Hazzim’s family said the airstrikes, car bombings, executions and suicide attacks have turned the area into a disaster zone. Other families fleeing western Mosul this week agree.
哈泽木的家人称，空袭、汽车炸弹、死刑和自杀性袭击已经将这片地区沦为了灾难区。其他在这周逃离西摩苏尔的家庭也同意这个看法。
Hazzim’s brother Lazem added, “The militants gather families into small areas.The families hide in the basements and the airplanes don’t see them.They are hidden.”
哈泽木的弟弟拉泽木补充说，“激进分子把家人们聚集到了狭小的区域。他们躲在了地下室，是飞机的视觉盲区。他们被藏起来了。”
“In western Mosul, there is no place to strike without hitting families,” he said.
他说，“在摩苏尔西部，战火波及到了每个家庭。”