The US Defence Secretary James Mattis on Sunday, speaking to CBS, said that “civilian casualties are a fact of life” during war, pointing out that soldiers do everything possible to prevent them.
Civilian casualties are a fact of life in this sort of situation. We do everything humanly possible consistent with military necessity, taking many chances to avoid civilian casualties at all costs.James Mattis, Defence Secretary, US
The Pentagon chief is a battle-hardened, tough-talking retired Marine Corps general who was entrusted with some of the most challenging commands in the military.
So what might you expect him to say when asked, "What keeps you awake at night?"
Maybe another missile launch from North Korea? An attack by Islamic State militants? An incident in the South China Sea?
“Nothing,” he tells CBS’ Face the Nation. “I keep other people awake at night.”
Mattis was speaking after reports of airstrikes in Syria that killed at least killed 17 people just south of the northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State group.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 18 people were killed in the airstrikes on the road between the villages of Ratla and Kasrat. It said Sunday's airstrikes hit buses, adding that the identity of the dead is not known.
The activist-operated ‘Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently’ said 17 civilians were killed in the airstrike on buses carrying civilians.
Both groups blamed the US-led coalition, which has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria against IS since September 2014.
US-backed Syrian fighters have been marching toward Raqqa for weeks under the cover of coalition airstrikes.
(With inputs from AP and CBS.)
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