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US mosque strikes point to looser targeting rules in fight against Islamic State

A spate of airstrikes against mosques in Syria hints at the American military accepting fewer restrictions on battlefield targeting, with higher risks for civilians.
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A spate of US airstrikes against mosques commandeered by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria appear to point to the Donald Trump administration adopting unusual measures to target extremists, experts say.

The Pentagon acknowledged Monday that coalition fighter jets struck two mosques near Susah, Syria, following reports of six civilian deaths in the bombing of a religious school in Hajin, a town in the Euphrates River Valley. The US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State conducted a third mosque strike Wednesday, a military spokesman said.

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