WASHINGTON -- In a rare step to help clear explosives from a war-ravaged Iraqi city, a top American military commander has declassified 81 locations of unexploded bombs dropped in the city of Mosul.
The U.S.-led coalition dropped the explosives during its battle against Islamic State militants. Officials are considering similar disclosures for other areas to assist aid groups and contractors trying to find the unexploded bombs.
Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend says in a memo that he's providing a list of geographic co-ordinates "for the sake of public safety." He says the list includes the type of munition and the latitude and longitude of the expected location.
The military does not normally release such classified information. Ongoing international and U.S. programs seek to clean up explosives around the world.
