GENEVA, Switzerland (Reuters) — Intensified coalition air strikes supporting an assault by U.S.-backed forces on Islamic State’s stronghold of Raqqa in Syria are causing a “staggering loss of civilian life”, United Nations war crimes investigators said on Wednesday (June 14).
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias supported by a U.S.-led coalition, began to attack Raqqa a week ago to take it from the jihadists. The SDF, supported by heavy coalition air strikes, have taken territory to the west, east and north of the city.
Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry told the Human Rights Council in Geneva the strikes had led to 160,000 civilians becoming internally displaced but he provided no figure for civilian casualties in Raqqa, where rival forces are racing to capture ground from Islamic State.
The Syrian army is also advancing on the desert area west of the city.
Syria’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Hussam Edin Aaala, denounced violations committed by the “unlawful U.S.-led coalition” which he said targets infrastructure and has killed hundreds of civilians.
In its speech to the 47-member forum in Geneva, the U.S. delegation made no reference to Raqqa or the air strikes. U.S. diplomat Jason Mack said the Syrian government was the “primary perpetrator” of egregious human rights violations in the country.
