U.S.-led coalition airstrikes have completely destroyed a church in Raqqa as allied Kurdish forces engage in fierce clashes with the Islamic State inside the city, local monitoring groups said Wednesday.
‘Our Lady of the Annunciation’ church in the neighborhood of al-Thakana was reduced to rubble due to heavy US airstrikes, Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently said.
The coalition strikes and the Syrian Democratic Forces artillery have killed 9 people in the past 24 hours, the leading civil campaign said.
Three children have also lost their lives in landmine explosion planted by ISIS while they were fleeing Raqqa.
In relevant development, About 200 U.S. Army troops have been deployed in in al-Shaddadi town in the southern countryside of Hasaka province this week, sources said.
The U.S. move was in support for a tribe militia which used to fight under the banner Syrian Democratic Forces.
Syrian Elite forces, the armed wing for the al-Ghad al-Souri movement, formed by 3000 tribesmen where they expected join Deir Ezzor offensive with Kurdish-led alliance.
