The incident fuels suspicions in Iraq that the US-led coalition may be helping IS rather than fighting against it, a notion that is widespread in the country. Shiite militias, which are fighting against IS forces in Iraq, had suffered from American interventions that helped the terrorists in the past, militia commander Hakim al-Zamili told RT. Al-Zamili also heads the Iraqi parliament’s defense and security committee.

“We don‘t believe it was a technical mistake. We constantly see that the United States are trying to provide air cover to Islamic State. They are preventing us from making an offensive,” he said.