Without knowing the details, this sounds like a war crime.
No, and nether was the carpet bombing of Berlin. Nor Hiroshima and Nagasaki a war crime..
Never go to war, unless you hate your enemy with all your might.. You want him dead, and everything about him dead.. Make him sue for peace. Make him beg you for peace.! Make him KNOW he lost.. And THEN you'll have peace..
The reason we are having so much turmoil in the world today is because, no matter how big and tough we act, our enemy knows we don't want to hurt anybody.. We won't finish the job.. So, in a few years, here he comes again.... :(