According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 26 people were killed in a round of airstrikes against the ISIS-held town of Manbej today, and dozens of others wounded. Many of the toll were civilians, including children.
Though there was no official confirmation of who carried out the airstrikes, the observatory says that it was most likely the Syrian military. US and allied warplanes have also attacked the town in recent days, however.
Manbej is in the Aleppo Province, part of the ISIS territory near the Turkish border which is not contiguous to their main territory. ISIS has sought to link the two segments with offensives against the Kurdish city of Kobani, but has been so far unsuccessful.
The US has been keen to attack the region to help the Kurds with their offensives against ISIS, while the Syrian military is trying to slow the ISIS expansion toward the Aleppo Provincial capital, an important city half-controlled by them, and by other rebel forces.