Air attacks, shelling kill civilians in Raqqa

International coalition air attacks and shelling by US-backed forces have killed at least 18 civilians in Syria’s Raqqa, said a local activist group. Writing on Twitter on Tuesday night, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently said the attacks wounded another 50 civilians, adding that the US-led international coalition had carried out at least 41 air attacks […]

International coalition air attacks and shelling by US-backed forces have killed at least 18 civilians in Syria’s Raqqa, said a local activist group.

Writing on Twitter on Tuesday night, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently said the attacks wounded another 50 civilians, adding that the US-led international coalition had carried out at least 41 air attacks in the 48 hours prior.

The activist group said that air attacks and shelling continued overnight in and around Raqqa, the city previously known as the de facto capital of ISIS.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, has been working to encircle Raqqa since November in an offensive backed by the US-led coalition, which is also fighting ISIL in neighbouring Iraq.

The US-led coalition has said that 3,000 to 4,000 ISIL fighters are thought to be holed up in Raqqa city, where they have erected defences against the anticipated assault.