CENTCOM is saying they didn/’t actually hit the mosque:
To gain access to the compound housing the mosque, the release continued, the Marines used air support to breach a wall several hundred yards away from the actual mosque structure. One anti-coalition force member was killed in the attack, and there were no reports of civilian casualties, the CENTCOM release said.
The anti-coalition forces firing from the mosque violated the law of war by conducting offensive military operations from a protected structure, the news release said. Though the mosque lost its protected status and became a lawful military target, the Marines still targeted only the wall surrounding the compound to prevent damage to the mosque, the release emphasized. Marines on the ground saw no damage to the mosque after the strike, CENTCOM reported.
If it is true, someone back at HQ should have gotten in front of the news story.
