US-Led Coalition Airstrikes Near Syrian Raqqa Reportedly Kill Over 30 Civilians

CAIRO (Sputnik) — The civilians were shelled, while they were trying to leave the territories controlled by terrorists via the Euphrates river, the Lebanese Al Mayadeen broadcaster said.

On Saturday, Syrian state media reported that at least 43 civilians were killed as a result of a US-led coalition airstrike in Syria's Raqqa. The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the airstrikes and sent two letters the UN secretary general and the head of the Security Council, in which the US-led coalition's actions were compared to the Daesh crimes.

On May 31, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien said that over 100 Syrian civilians had been killed as a result of the airstrikes of the US-led international anti-terrorist coalition in the provinces of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor in recent weeks.

The US-led coalition of 68 nations is conducting airstrikes, ground-based and rocket-propelled artillery fire in Syria and Iraq against Daesh. The coalition supports the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which predominately consists of Kurdish fighters but also includes members of the Syrian Arab Coalition.

Syrian army as well as numerous armed groups, such as the SDF have been fighting against Daesh that had occupied vast territories of the Middle Eastern country, including Raqqa. The SDF are currently conducting the Wrath of Euphrates operation aimed at liberation of the de-facto capital of the self-proclaimed Daesh caliphate.

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