More Than 100 Civilians Reported Killed by Coalition Airstrikes on Raqqa

More than 100 civilians were killed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in Raqqa in the past 48 hours, a war monitor said Tuesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 42 people, including 19 children, were killed Monday when strikes destroyed buildings sheltering families.

The death toll is the single largest in one day since the U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias, began their campaign in June to isolate Islamic State inside the city, according to the Observatory.

Residents of the de facto capital of Islamic State in Syria echoed the Observatory's comments, with some putting the death toll as high as 170 in the past two days.

As U.S.-backed forces progress in their offensive to oust Islamic State from Raqqa, thousands of civilians who are trapped in the city face an increasing danger of getting caught in crossfire, rights organizations and local activists warn.

SDF officials say their battle against IS has entered a fierce and grueling phase in the densely populated neighborhoods of the city, as the terrorist group tries various tactics to keep its stronghold.

The United Nations estimates there are nearly 25,000 civilians trapped in the city. The agency has called on the U.S.-led coalition and the SDF to increase their efforts to open safe corridors for the remaining civilians to flee.

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