UN says recorded 300 civilian deaths from US-led air strikes in Raqqa

Geneva: UN war crimes investigators said on Wednesday that they had documented 300 civilian deaths from what they called "excessive" coalition air strikes on the Syrian city of Raqqa, which is controlled by Islamic State.

Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, told reporters: "Coalition air strikes have intensified around the city. As the operation is gaining pace very rapidly, civilians are caught up in the city under the oppressive rule of ISIL, while facing extreme danger associated with movement due to excessive air strikes."

Karen Abuzayd, a commissioner on the independent panel, said: "We have documented the deaths caused by the coalition air strikes only and we have about 300 deaths, 200 in one place, in al-Mansoura, one village."