US-led air strike on ISIL's building killed at least 105

A US-led air strike in March on a building in the Iraqi city of Mosul killed at least 105 civilians, a US military investigation has found.

The strike inadvertently triggered explosive devices placed in the building by ISIL fighters, causing it to collapse, according to a statement released on Thursday.

It appeared to be the single deadliest incident of civilian casualties involving the US-led coalition since it started operations against ISIL in Syria and Iraq three years ago.

The US-led forces were targeting two ISIL snipers in the building in the Al-Jadida district who had engaged with Iraqi counter-terrorism forces. Neither coalition nor Iraqi forces were aware of civilians in the building, nor did they know that ISIL had rigged the building with explosives, the statement said.

One hundred and one civilians inside the building were killed, four civilians were killed in the neighboring building, and 36 are still not accounted for, according to US Air Force Brigadier General Matthew Isler, who oversaw the investigation.

(CGTN)