The US-backed opposition umbrella group the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) has issued a statement today calling for the US to immediately suspend all airstrikes against Syria for the duration of investigations into this week’s airstrikes around the city of Manbij.
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As discussions on the air strikes were continuing, at least 43 civilians, including 11 children, were killed in the bombardment of several rebel-held areas across Syria on July 21, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.
CNN reported Tuesday that airstrikes in the, has been a site of casualties due to fighting between us -backed forces and ISIS.
At the same time, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Wednesday that the coalition is aware of and will look into the report of civilian deaths following recent airstrikes near Manbij.
People mourn over the coffins of members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli on Thursday during the funeral of sixteen fighters killed battling the Islamic State (IS) group in Manbij.
USA military officials are looking into claims that an American-led airstrike targeting militants in a terrorist stronghold in northern Syria this week haphazardly killed dozens of civilians.
“We deplore all forms of violence and urge all parties to the conflict in Syria to make every effort to avoid the loss of civilian lives”.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday slapped sanctions on eight people and seven companies for supporting the Assad regime and assisting its weapons program.
US officials said in a report earlier this month that 36 civilians had been killed in American strikes in Syria over the last 12 months.
In a statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said that 120 civilians, mostly women, children and old people, had been killed in the airstrike on Tokhar village.
The Syrian foreign ministry said Tuesday’s airstrike on the village of Toukhar north of Manbij was carried out by French forces, while Monday’s strike was by US jets. The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said it had been told that families were preparing to flee when the villages they were in came under air attack.
As the number of civilians killed by US -led coalition forces in Syria since June rises to above 100, the head of opposition group the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) is asking the U.S.to suspend the coalition’s airstrikes against the Islamic State (ISIS) while the deaths are investigated.
Fighting terrorism shouldn’t be used to justify civilian deaths, he added.
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For its part, the USA military has confirmed it is “reviewing” the circumstances of the airstrike, but its statement regarding the airstrikes did not include any mention of the civilians that were killed. “In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes using bomber and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets”.
