The United Nations is expressing concern for Syrian civilians trapped inside Raqqa amid ongoing U.S.-led airstrikes and the ground offensive by U.S.-backed troops to seize control of the city from ISIS.
Andrej Mahecic: “The U.N. estimates that between 30,000 and 50,000 people remain trapped in Raqqa city, although certainly, over numbers, getting the precise numbers is difficult, given the lack of access. Availability of food, water, medicine, electricity and other essentials has been dwindling, with the situation rapidly deteriorating. It is imperative that trapped civilians are able to secure safe passage out to reach safety, shelter and protection.”
A new report released today by the journalistic monitoring group Airwars says civilian deaths likely caused by the U.S.-led coalition in Syria in June were at their highest level since the coalition’s bombing campaign began in 2014. Airwars says a record 4,400 munitions were fired into Raqqa in June by the U.S.-led coalition—over four times more than in May. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says it has evidence that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been killed in Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria. It’s the latest report of Baghdadi’s death, which has not been confirmed by ISIS. Last month, Russia claimed it may have killed Baghdadi in an airstrike on the outskirts of Raqqa in northern Syria.