At least 29 civilians killed in coalition airstrikes in Raqqa in one day

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that during airstrikes by the US-led coalition on the main city controlled by ISIS in Syria, at least 29 civilians lost their lives within 24 hours. According to this London-based organization, the list of the deceased includes members of a 14-person family. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights states that due to the critical condition of the wounded, the final death toll may rise. The US-led coalition has yet to respond to this report. The United States and the coalition it leads have previously stated that they have made extraordinary efforts to prevent civilian casualties and are investigating all reports in this regard. Raqqa, where coalition airstrikes continue, is the main base of the so-called Islamic State. A coalition of Kurdish and Arab Syrian militias is also engaged in ground battles with this group in the city. Last month, the coalition announced that since the beginning of its airstrikes in 2014 in Iraq and Syria against ISIS members, at least 600 civilians have lost their lives. However, monitoring groups and human rights defenders have stated that the number of victims is much higher than the reported figure. Many of the coalition's airstrikes have been conducted in support of local armed groups in ground battles against the 'Islamic State', for instance in Raqqa where the 'Syrian Democratic Forces' are fighting ISIS. Last week, a US representative in the coalition against ISIS stated that the group has lost 78% of its territory in Iraq and 58% in Syria, but still has about 2,000 fighters present in Raqqa. The United Nations has estimated that up to 50,000 civilians are trapped amid the ongoing conflicts and battles in Raqqa.