At least 120 civilians, including 11 children, have been killed in US-led air strikes against areas in Syria, Manbij and Jarablas, held by the Islamic State, activists said.
Fifty civilians lost their lives after the U.S.-led coalition’s jets attacked the city of Jarablas in Aleppo eastern countryside, Orient News correspondent said.
Also, no less than 70 civilians have been killed by the U.S.-led coalition’s jets in the city of Manbij in Aleppo eastern countryside.
“Horrible massacre was committed by the US-led coalition. Civilians were killed en masse. There were innumerable bodies lying on the ground. I could not believe the way in which civilians were slaughtered,” Orient News correspondent quoted an eye witness who was in the scene of the massacre as saying.
Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washinton, said that at least one town near the city of Manbij was allegedly hit by a coalition strike and that many of the casualties were reportedly women and children.
“The US central command has confirmed to Al Jazeera that it was conducting air strikes in the area and says it needs to investigate allegations of whether civilians were injured or killed in this incident.”
Director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdel-Rahman told DPA news agency: “We believe that the raids which were carried out Tuesday were by US [or] allied planes.”
There was no immediate comment from the coalition, the Associated Press reported.
160 civilians have been killed in the village of Tokhar in Manbij northern countryside. Most of the casualties were women and children, ISIS-affiliated Amaq News agency reported.
Manbij and Jarables are held by ISIS. The extremist group ban all kinds of mobile communications or media coverage.
The new death toll puts the total number of civilians killed by coalition strikes on Manbij since May 31 at 200, according to observing groups.
The Manbij area has seen intense US-led airstrikes in support of Kurdish-led forces who are trying to seize the city from ISIL, so as to block the armed group’s access to the nearby Turkish border.
Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of mainly Kurdish fighters backed by the US, launched an offensive against ISIS to retake the city of Manbij in May. Kurdish militias aim at controlling Manbij to complete their control over northern Syria and pave the way to their autonomy goal.
The Observatory on Monday said that 104 civilians had been killed in airstrikes since the Democratic Forces of Syria (DFS) launched their campaign in the area at the end of May.
