The U.S. is investigating the report of '52 Syrian civilians killed in airstrikes'

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, reports that airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition in Syria have claimed the lives of 52 civilians. The group did not specify the timing of these strikes in a statement published on its website. The U.S. military has stated that it will investigate the matter. The Syrian Observatory, which is aligned with part of the opposition to Bashar al-Assad's regime, regularly reports statistics and events from the Syrian civil war. On May 2, the group reported that among the 52 civilians killed, there were 7 children and 9 women, but due to the disappearance of 13 civilians, it added that the number of victims may rise. The Observatory claims that the attacks it reported occurred in a village in northeastern Aleppo and were conducted 'under the pretext' of targeting the 'Islamic State.' CNN quoted Colonel Patrick Ryder, spokesperson for the U.S. Central Command, stating that the U.S. military will investigate this matter. Colonel Ryder said, 'I can tell you that no other country takes as much care in how it conducts its airstrikes as the United States.' He added that the U.S. military significantly limits its measurements in the targeting process and during operations to reduce the risk of civilian casualties and collateral damage. According to this military official, although the U.S. has no information regarding the Syrian Observatory's recent report, it takes 'any allegations seriously and will investigate them.' The U.S. government has previously utilized statistics and reports from the Syrian Observatory, including in 2014, when it referenced the deaths of 150,000 Syrian citizens during the civil war. The U.S.-led coalition has conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against individuals and positions of the group known as the 'Islamic State' in recent months. Other Islamist groups in Syria have also been targeted by these strikes to a lesser extent.