Fresh US Airstrikes Kill 28 Civilians in North Syria

Syrian Observatory: US Must Stop Targeting Civilian Neighborhoods

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, US airstrikes against al-Ghandour in northern Syria have killed at least 28 civilians, including seven children. The town is near the city of Manbij, which has been a major target of US strikes over the past two months.

This attack is in addition to the other US attacks in and around Manbij in recent weeks, including one Tuesday of last week which was estimated to have killed around 200 civilians. Overall, the US strikes have killed well over 300 civilians since the offensive began in May.

The Syrian Observatory’s statement today warned the number of civilians killed in the area is “rising dramatically,” and demanded that the US-led coalition “stop targeting neighborhoods with civilians,” saying such attacks aren’t acceptable even if ISIS fighters are present.

The US confirmed that it conducted the airstrikes in Ghandour, but said it is still conducting a preliminary investigation into who was killed. The Observatory says they believe the toll will rise further than the 28 already confirmed killed, with a number of people gravely wounded.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.