UN human rights chief urges protection of civilians in Raqqa

The UN human rights chief on Thursday urged the US-led coalition and other forces fighting in Raqqa against the Daesh’s "murderous regime" to do more to protect civilians from airstrikes and other firepower.

Civilians caught up in the battle for the Syrian city of Raqqa are paying an "unacceptable price" and attacking forces may be contravening international law with their intense air strikes, the top UN human rights official said on Thursday.

Some 20,000 civilians are trapped in Raqqa where the terrorists are holding some of them as human shields, the world body says.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said that his office had documented 151 civilian deaths in six incidents alone in August, due to air strikes and ground-based attacks.

Al Hussein's office said on Wednesday that total civilian casualties from airstrikes and ground-based strikes on Raqqa are difficult to count, but that it was a "large number."

"Given the extremely high number of reports of civilian casualties this month and the intensity of the air strikes on Raqqa, coupled with ISIL’s use of civilians as human shields, I am deeply concerned that civilians – who should be protected at all times – are paying an unacceptable price and that forces involved in battling ISIL are losing sight of the ultimate goal of this battle," Zeid said in a statement, referring to Daesh with its alternative acronym. 

"The attacking forces may be failing to abide by the international humanitarian law principles of precautions, distinction, and proportionality,” he said.

Zeid also expressed concerns about the city of Deir Ezzor to the southeast, predicting it will be "the next big battle" after Raqqa.

Air strikes on Raqqa

The US-led coalition has said it conducted nearly 1,100 air strikes on and near Raqqa this month, up from 645 in July, the UN statement said.

Russia's air force has reported carrying out 2,518 air strikes across Syria in the first three weeks of August, it added.

"Meanwhile ISIL fighters continue to prevent civilians from fleeing the area, although some manage to leave after paying large amounts of money to smugglers," Zeid said. "We have reports of smugglers also being publicly executed by ISIL.”

US-led warplanes on Wednesday blocked a convoy of Daesh militants and their families from reaching territory the group holds in eastern Syria and struck some of their comrades travelling to meet them, a coalition spokesman said.

A US-led coalition is seeking to oust Daesh from Raqqa, while Syrian regime forces, backed by the Russian air force and Iran-backed militias, are also advancing on the city.