Iraqi officials say nine of their forces have been accidentally killed in an airstrike as part of the U.S.-backed effort to retake the city of Tikrit from the self-proclaimed Islamic State. U.S.-led airstrikes began Wednesday, prompting thousands of Iranian-backed Shiite militias who were fighting alongside the Iraqis to boycott the battle and retreat. U.S. Army General Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command, assured lawmakers, including Senator John McCain, there are no Shiite militias in Tikrit.

Gen. Lloyd Austin: “The folks that we are supporting in clearing Tikrit—”

Sen. John McCain: “Are the Shia militias still in the fight?”

Gen. Lloyd Austin: “No, sir, they’re not — they’re not a part of the clearing operations in Tikrit.”

Sen. John McCain: “So, we are — the airstrikes that we’re carrying out in support are only in support of Iraqi military activities?”

Gen. Lloyd Austin: “That’s correct, sir. Preconditioned for us to provide support was that the Iraqi government had to be in charge of this operation. They had to know — we had to know exactly who was on the ground.”