Saudi-led air strikes on a school in a rebel-held province of Yemen have killed 10 children, aid agencies said today, prompting fresh concerns over civilian casualties in the 17-month war. 
 
Another 28 children were wounded in the raids which occurred yesterday in the town of Haydan, in Saada province, said the Paris-based Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The United Nations confirmed the attacks. 
 
A Saudi-led coalition of Arab states has been battling the Iran-backed rebels since March 2015 when the insurgents seized the capital Sanaa before expanding to other parts of the country. 
 
Only 10 days ago, it acknowledged &quot;shortcomings&quot; in two out of eight cases it has investigated of strikes on civilian targets in Yemen that have been condemned by the United Nations. 
 
Doctors Without Borders &quot;received 10 dead children and 28 wounded, all under the age of 15, who are victims of air strikes on a Koranic school in Haydan,&quot; said spokeswoman Malak Shaher. 
 
They were admitted to a field hospital near the school before being transferred to a public hospital, she told AFP. 
 
&quot;We demand from all parties to take the measures necessary to protect civilians,&quot; Shaher said. 
 
The United Nation&#39;s children agency, UNICEF, also reported the attack. 
 
It warned that &quot;with the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by air strikes, street fighting and landmines has grown sharply.&quot; 
 
The Shiite rebels posted pictures and videos on Facebook of dead and bloodied children wrapped in blankets.&nbsp;Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said warplanes &quot;targeted&quot; children at the Jomaa bin Fadhel school, in what he described as a &quot;heinous crime&quot;. 
 
The Saudi Press Agency said coalition warplanes struck a Huthi &quot;training centre&quot; yesterday in Saada, killing several insurgents, including a leader it identified as Yehya Munassar Abu Rabua. 
 
The Arab coalition launched its air war against the Huthis on March 26, 2015. After a three-month pause, it resumed the air strikes on Tuesday, less than 72 hours after UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced the collapse of peace talks in Kuwait. 
 
Raids struck a food factory in Yemen`s rebel-controlled capital, killing 14 people, according to medics. The factory is near a military equipment maintenance centre targeted by the coalition. 
 
The United Nations had also voiced concern over the increased fighting in Yemen during the past week, warning of its humanitarian consequences with more than 80 per cent of the population needing aid. 
 
&quot;UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to respect and abide by their obligations under international law,&quot; the agency said in its latest statement. &quot;This includes the obligation to only target combatants and limit harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.&quot; 
 
Saudi Arabia reacted angrily to a decision in June to blacklist the coalition after a UN report found the Arab alliance responsible for 60 percent of the 785 deaths of children in Yemen last year. 
 
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had accused Saudi Arabia of threatening to cut off funding to United Nations aid programmes over the blacklist, a charge denied by Riyadh. 
 
Coalition members - Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - as well as Yemen have formed a 14-member investigative team which has probed claims of attacks on a residential area, hospitals, markets, a wedding and World Food Programme aid trucks. It found the coalition guilty of &quot;mistakenly&quot; hitting a residential compound after receiving &quot;imprecise&quot; intelligence information and offered compensation to families of the victims. 
 
The team also held the coalition responsible for air strikes on an MSF-run hospital, also in Haydan, but accused the rebels of having used the hospital as a hideout.&nbsp; 
 
The UN says more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition air campaign began in March last year. The coalition meanwhile announced that Saudi air defences yesterday intercepted a Scud missile fired from Yemen towards the kingdom.&nbsp; 
 
Coalition jets struck the source of fire in an area between Saada and Amran province, near the capital. 
 
Around 100 members of the Saudi forces and civilians have been killed inside the kingdom`s borders since the coalition campaign began. 
 
(AFP)

Another 28 children were wounded in the raids. All children were under the age of 15, said a Doctors Without Borders spokeswoman

Saudi-led air strikes on a school in a rebel-held province of Yemen have killed 10 children, aid agencies said today, prompting fresh concerns over civilian casualties in the 17-month war. Another 28 children were wounded in the raids which occurred yesterday in the town of Haydan, in Saada province, said the Paris-based Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The United Nations confirmed the attacks. A Saudi-led coalition of Arab states has been battling the Iran-backed rebels since March 2015 when the insurgents seized the capital Sanaa before expanding to other parts of the country. Only 10 days ago, it acknowledged "shortcomings" in two out of eight cases it has investigated of strikes on civilian targets in Yemen that have been condemned by the United Nations. Doctors Without Borders "received 10 dead children and 28 wounded, all under the age of 15, who are victims of air strikes on a Koranic school in Haydan," said spokeswoman Malak Shaher. They were admitted to a field hospital near the school before being transferred to a public hospital, she told AFP. "We demand from all parties to take the measures necessary to protect civilians," Shaher said. The United Nation's children agency, UNICEF, also reported the attack. It warned that "with the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by air strikes, street fighting and landmines has grown sharply." The Shiite rebels posted pictures and videos on Facebook of dead and bloodied children wrapped in blankets. Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said warplanes "targeted" children at the Jomaa bin Fadhel school, in what he described as a "heinous crime". The Saudi Press Agency said coalition warplanes struck a Huthi "training centre" yesterday in Saada, killing several insurgents, including a leader it identified as Yehya Munassar Abu Rabua. The Arab coalition launched its air war against the Huthis on March 26, 2015. After a three-month pause, it resumed the air strikes on Tuesday, less than 72 hours after UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced the collapse of peace talks in Kuwait. Raids struck a food factory in Yemen`s rebel-controlled capital, killing 14 people, according to medics. The factory is near a military equipment maintenance centre targeted by the coalition. The United Nations had also voiced concern over the increased fighting in Yemen during the past week, warning of its humanitarian consequences with more than 80 per cent of the population needing aid. "UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to respect and abide by their obligations under international law," the agency said in its latest statement. "This includes the obligation to only target combatants and limit harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure." Saudi Arabia reacted angrily to a decision in June to blacklist the coalition after a UN report found the Arab alliance responsible for 60 percent of the 785 deaths of children in Yemen last year. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had accused Saudi Arabia of threatening to cut off funding to United Nations aid programmes over the blacklist, a charge denied by Riyadh. Coalition members - Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - as well as Yemen have formed a 14-member investigative team which has probed claims of attacks on a residential area, hospitals, markets, a wedding and World Food Programme aid trucks. It found the coalition guilty of "mistakenly" hitting a residential compound after receiving "imprecise" intelligence information and offered compensation to families of the victims. The team also held the coalition responsible for air strikes on an MSF-run hospital, also in Haydan, but accused the rebels of having used the hospital as a hideout. The UN says more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition air campaign began in March last year. The coalition meanwhile announced that Saudi air defences yesterday intercepted a Scud missile fired from Yemen towards the kingdom. Coalition jets struck the source of fire in an area between Saada and Amran province, near the capital. Around 100 members of the Saudi forces and civilians have been killed inside the kingdom`s borders since the coalition campaign began. (AFP)

10 children dead in Saudi-led Arab coalition raid on Yemen school: MSF

The UN yesterday urged Russia to give it control of humanitarian passages out of Aleppo in northern Syria where besieged residents cowered indoors afraid to use what some called &quot;death corridors&quot;. 
 
A monitoring group, meanwhile, reported that at least 18 civilians were killed in air strikes in the city of Aleppo and in the provincial town of Atareb. 
 
The Britain-based charity Save the Children said a maternity hospital it supports in northwestern Idlib province was bombed yesterday, killing two people and injuring babies in incubators. 
 
Syrian regime ally Russia has said three humanitarian passages would be opened for civilians and surrendering fighters seeking to exit Aleppo&#39;s eastern districts. 
 
Only a dozen of Aleppo residents trickled out through one passage yesterday, while others wanting to flee were turned back by rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. 
 
An AFP correspondent in east Aleppo said streets were empty with residents holed up indoors and shops shuttered. 
 
Ahmad Ramadan from the opposition Syrian National Coalition accused Russia and the regime of forcing civilians to flee through continued bombing raids. 
 
&quot;Aleppo residents are calling the corridors that Russia is talking about &#39;death corridors&#39;,&quot; he said. 
 
The Britain-based Observatory said at least eight civilians were killed in regime air strikes that hit two eastern areas of Aleppo, warning the death toll could rise as more were trapped under the rubble. 
 
It later reported unidentified air strikes on the rebel-held town of Atareb in Aleppo province that killed 10 people and wounded many other seriously, calling the raids a &quot;new massacre&quot;. 
 
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Russia, which has been carrying out air strikes alongside Syrian regime planes, should let the United Nations take charge of the corridors. 
 
&quot;Our suggestion is to Russia to actually leave the corridors being established at their initiative to us,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;How can you expect people to want to walk through a corridor, thousands of them, while there is shelling, bombing, fighting?&quot; 
 
Russia&#39;s deputy defence minister, Anatoly Antonov, said Moscow was prepared &quot;for the closest and most constructive cooperation&quot; with the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations. 
 
But he warned that rebels would not be allowed &quot;to enter the city and fuel the terrorists with weapons and ammunition&quot;. 
 
The UN says around 250,000 people have been trapped in Aleppo&#39;s eastern districts since July 17 when pro-regime forces surrounded the area. 
 
&#39;Existential dilemma&#39; 
 
Residents have reported food shortages and spiralling prices in rebel districts since regime forces cut off the opposition&#39;s main supply route into the northern city. 
 
Aid agencies and analysts said the humanitarian corridors must be used to send desperately needed supplies to those areas which have not received any medical aid since July 7. 
 
&quot;Those who decide, for whatever reason, to stay in eastern Aleppo must be protected, and all sides must allow humanitarian agencies to reach and assess their well-being and needs,&quot; said the International Committee of the Red Cross. 
 
The US-based International Rescue Committee warned that those left behind in east Aleppo risked starvation and called for a pause in the fighting. 
 
Analyst Karim Bitar from the French think-tank IRIS said: &quot;Aleppo residents are facing a terrible existential dilemma, they often have to chose between risking starvation or risking to die while fleeing.&quot; 
 
Humanitarian effort have often been used during the conflict &quot;as cynical ploy to advance geopolitical interests.&quot; 
 
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Thursday that three humanitarian corridors were being opened &quot;to aid civilians held hostage by terrorists and for fighters wishing to lay down their arms&quot;. 
 
&#39;Military objectives&#39; 
 
Analysts said losing Aleppo would be a major blow for the rebels and a possible turning point in Syria&#39;s five-year-old conflict. 
 
&quot;In Aleppo, getting civilians to leave would both serve its propaganda and its military objectives,&quot; said Emile Hokayem, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. 
 
&quot;The regime uses massive, indiscriminate force to brutalise civilians to force them to kneel or reject the rebel groups,&quot; he added. 
 
More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria&#39;s war which erupted in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests before becoming a complex conflict involving many groups, including jihadists. 
 
Save the Children voiced &quot;outrage&quot; over the attack of the maternity hospital it supports in Idlib. 
 
&quot;Several babies were injured when their incubators crashed to the floor, and a woman who was six months pregnant had her leg severed,&quot; it said. 
 
The Observatory said a jihadist from Al-Nusra Front, which has changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, was killed in the raid in the rebel-held town of Kafar Takharim. 
 
It also reported that IS had executed 24 civilians after seizing a village in northern Syria. 
 
(AFP)

Russia had announced opening of humanitarian passages for civilians to exit Aleppo. Some residents have termed the passage 'death corridors'

The UN yesterday urged Russia to give it control of humanitarian passages out of Aleppo in northern Syria where besieged residents cowered indoors afraid to use what some called "death corridors". A monitoring group, meanwhile, reported that at least 18 civilians were killed in air strikes in the city of Aleppo and in the provincial town of Atareb. The Britain-based charity Save the Children said a maternity hospital it supports in northwestern Idlib province was bombed yesterday, killing two people and injuring babies in incubators. Syrian regime ally Russia has said three humanitarian passages would be opened for civilians and surrendering fighters seeking to exit Aleppo's eastern districts. Only a dozen of Aleppo residents trickled out through one passage yesterday, while others wanting to flee were turned back by rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. An AFP correspondent in east Aleppo said streets were empty with residents holed up indoors and shops shuttered. Ahmad Ramadan from the opposition Syrian National Coalition accused Russia and the regime of forcing civilians to flee through continued bombing raids. "Aleppo residents are calling the corridors that Russia is talking about 'death corridors'," he said. The Britain-based Observatory said at least eight civilians were killed in regime air strikes that hit two eastern areas of Aleppo, warning the death toll could rise as more were trapped under the rubble. It later reported unidentified air strikes on the rebel-held town of Atareb in Aleppo province that killed 10 people and wounded many other seriously, calling the raids a "new massacre". UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Russia, which has been carrying out air strikes alongside Syrian regime planes, should let the United Nations take charge of the corridors. "Our suggestion is to Russia to actually leave the corridors being established at their initiative to us," he said. "How can you expect people to want to walk through a corridor, thousands of them, while there is shelling, bombing, fighting?" Russia's deputy defence minister, Anatoly Antonov, said Moscow was prepared "for the closest and most constructive cooperation" with the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations. But he warned that rebels would not be allowed "to enter the city and fuel the terrorists with weapons and ammunition". The UN says around 250,000 people have been trapped in Aleppo's eastern districts since July 17 when pro-regime forces surrounded the area. 'Existential dilemma' Residents have reported food shortages and spiralling prices in rebel districts since regime forces cut off the opposition's main supply route into the northern city. Aid agencies and analysts said the humanitarian corridors must be used to send desperately needed supplies to those areas which have not received any medical aid since July 7. "Those who decide, for whatever reason, to stay in eastern Aleppo must be protected, and all sides must allow humanitarian agencies to reach and assess their well-being and needs," said the International Committee of the Red Cross. The US-based International Rescue Committee warned that those left behind in east Aleppo risked starvation and called for a pause in the fighting. Analyst Karim Bitar from the French think-tank IRIS said: "Aleppo residents are facing a terrible existential dilemma, they often have to chose between risking starvation or risking to die while fleeing." Humanitarian effort have often been used during the conflict "as cynical ploy to advance geopolitical interests." Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Thursday that three humanitarian corridors were being opened "to aid civilians held hostage by terrorists and for fighters wishing to lay down their arms". 'Military objectives' Analysts said losing Aleppo would be a major blow for the rebels and a possible turning point in Syria's five-year-old conflict. "In Aleppo, getting civilians to leave would both serve its propaganda and its military objectives," said Emile Hokayem, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "The regime uses massive, indiscriminate force to brutalise civilians to force them to kneel or reject the rebel groups," he added. More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria's war which erupted in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests before becoming a complex conflict involving many groups, including jihadists. Save the Children voiced "outrage" over the attack of the maternity hospital it supports in Idlib. "Several babies were injured when their incubators crashed to the floor, and a woman who was six months pregnant had her leg severed," it said. The Observatory said a jihadist from Al-Nusra Front, which has changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, was killed in the raid in the rebel-held town of Kafar Takharim. It also reported that IS had executed 24 civilians after seizing a village in northern Syria. (AFP)

UN seeks control of Russia escape routes from Syria's Aleppo

The UN Security Council yesterday backed a call by the UN&#39;s top aid official for a humanitarian truce in Aleppo after four hospitals were bombed and civilians were killed by air strikes in the Syrian city. 
 
Warning that food will soon run out in Aleppo, UN aid chief Stephen O&#39;Brien called for 48-hour weekly humanitarian truces to prevent a &quot;medieval&quot; siege from taking hold. 
 
&quot;The international community simply cannot let eastern Aleppo city become yet another - and by far the largest - besieged area,&quot; O&#39;Brien told the council. 
 
&quot;This is medieval and shameful. We must not allow this to happen.&quot; 
 
O&#39;Brien, the UN&#39;s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said food supplies in rebel-held eastern Aleppo were expected to run out by the middle of August. 
 
Britain, France and the United States quickly endorsed the plan, and Japan&#39;s ambassador Koro Bessho, who holds the council presidency, said there was &quot;overwhelming support for the idea&quot; among the 15 council members. 
 
French ambassador Francois Delattre compared Aleppo&#39;s plight to that of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war and said &quot;the Security Council simply cannot accept such war crimes - yes, war crimes - to repeat again.&quot; 
 
Syrian regime forces seized the last remaining supply route to Aleppo this month and all humanitarian and commercial movements came to a halt on July 7. 
 
Syria and its allies are &quot;determined to besiege, starve and bomb Aleppo until they reach their military goal: eradicating the opposition. This is what the siege is all about,&quot; Delattre told reporters ahead of the meeting. 
 
Enough is enough 
 
Over the weekend, four hospitals were bombed in Aleppo, jeopardising medical care for more than 200,000 desperate civilians. 
 
On Monday, air strikes and barrel bombs killed 16 civilians in Aleppo, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 
 
&quot;Enough is enough now,&quot; British ambassador Matthew Rycroft said. 
 
Rycroft said the council was looking at possible action to address the crisis in Aleppo, but did not provide details. 
 
Council support for the proposed truces could lead to a draft resolution to enforce the UN plan, but it remained unlikely that Russia, Syria&#39;s ally, would back such a measure. 
 
Russia said the so-called Castello road that was seized by regime forces was a supply route for weapons to jihadists, including the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front. 
 
Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin nevertheless told the council that in Aleppo, &quot;there is a need there to prevent humanitarian disaster.&quot; 
 
The United States put the onus on Russia to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to halt attacks and re-open the Castello road. 
 
&quot;Russia, the Assad regime and other groups fighting around Aleppo should heed the UN call for a weekly 48-hour pause to allow for deliveries of essential supplies,&quot; said US ambassador Samantha Power. 
 
The council raised alarm over the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo on the eve of a meeting in Geneva between top US and Russian officials to try to lay the groundwork for a resumption of peace talks. 
 
More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria in the war, which is now in its sixth year, and more than half the country has been displaced. 
 
(AFP)

Warning that food will soon run out, UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien called for 48-hour weekly pauses for deliveries of essential supplies

The UN Security Council yesterday backed a call by the UN's top aid official for a humanitarian truce in Aleppo after four hospitals were bombed and civilians were killed by air strikes in the Syrian city. Warning that food will soon run out in Aleppo, UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien called for 48-hour weekly humanitarian truces to prevent a "medieval" siege from taking hold. "The international community simply cannot let eastern Aleppo city become yet another - and by far the largest - besieged area," O'Brien told the council. "This is medieval and shameful. We must not allow this to happen." O'Brien, the UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said food supplies in rebel-held eastern Aleppo were expected to run out by the middle of August. Britain, France and the United States quickly endorsed the plan, and Japan's ambassador Koro Bessho, who holds the council presidency, said there was "overwhelming support for the idea" among the 15 council members. French ambassador Francois Delattre compared Aleppo's plight to that of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war and said "the Security Council simply cannot accept such war crimes - yes, war crimes - to repeat again." Syrian regime forces seized the last remaining supply route to Aleppo this month and all humanitarian and commercial movements came to a halt on July 7. Syria and its allies are "determined to besiege, starve and bomb Aleppo until they reach their military goal: eradicating the opposition. This is what the siege is all about," Delattre told reporters ahead of the meeting. Enough is enough Over the weekend, four hospitals were bombed in Aleppo, jeopardising medical care for more than 200,000 desperate civilians. On Monday, air strikes and barrel bombs killed 16 civilians in Aleppo, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Enough is enough now," British ambassador Matthew Rycroft said. Rycroft said the council was looking at possible action to address the crisis in Aleppo, but did not provide details. Council support for the proposed truces could lead to a draft resolution to enforce the UN plan, but it remained unlikely that Russia, Syria's ally, would back such a measure. Russia said the so-called Castello road that was seized by regime forces was a supply route for weapons to jihadists, including the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front. Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin nevertheless told the council that in Aleppo, "there is a need there to prevent humanitarian disaster." The United States put the onus on Russia to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to halt attacks and re-open the Castello road. "Russia, the Assad regime and other groups fighting around Aleppo should heed the UN call for a weekly 48-hour pause to allow for deliveries of essential supplies," said US ambassador Samantha Power. The council raised alarm over the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo on the eve of a meeting in Geneva between top US and Russian officials to try to lay the groundwork for a resumption of peace talks. More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria in the war, which is now in its sixth year, and more than half the country has been displaced. (AFP)

UN Security Council backs call for Aleppo truce

Libyan forces said today they had edged further into the centre of Sirte as they seek to recapture the city from Islamic State, following heavy battles until late the previous evening that left dozens dead. 
 
Forces aligned with Libya&#39;s United Nations-backed government in Tripoli advanced rapidly on Islamic State&#39;s Libyan stronghold in May, but have faced lethal resistance from snipers, suicide bombers and mines as they have closed in on the city centre. 
 
Sirte had been under the complete control of Islamic State since last year, becoming its most important base outside Syria and Iraq, and its loss would be a major setback for the group.&nbsp;After a lull in fighting earlier this week, the government-backed forces launched a fresh assault on several fronts in Sirte, after first pounding Islamic State positions with artillery and air strikes. 
 
The brigades, made up mainly of fighters from the western city of Misrata, said in a statement that they had captured a hotel on the eastern front line used by Islamic State snipers, and also taken control of part of the &quot;Dollar&quot; neighbourhood. 
 
They said they had foiled three attempted car bomb attacks and destroyed an armoured vehicle. A Reuters witness saw a tank belonging to the brigades being blown up, though it was not clear what caused the explosion.&nbsp;He said shelling continued late into Thursday night, but it was quiet today morning. 
 
Nearly 50 bodies of Islamic State fighters killed during Thursday&#39;s clashes were counted, the statement from the government-backed forces said. At least 22 brigade members were killed and 175 wounded, according to Misrata&#39;s central hospital. 
 
Since the campaign for Sirte began in May, more than 300 fighters from the brigades have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded, a spokesman for the forces said. 
 
Islamic State expanded into Libya amid the political chaos and security vacuum that developed after long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in an uprising in 2011.&nbsp;The group extended its presence along about 250 kilometres of Libya&#39;s coastline, but failed to win and retain territory elsewhere in the country. 
 
(Reuters)

The government-backed forces have taken control of a part of 'Dollar' neighbourhood. The city has been under control of IS since last year

Libyan forces said today they had edged further into the centre of Sirte as they seek to recapture the city from Islamic State, following heavy battles until late the previous evening that left dozens dead. Forces aligned with Libya's United Nations-backed government in Tripoli advanced rapidly on Islamic State's Libyan stronghold in May, but have faced lethal resistance from snipers, suicide bombers and mines as they have closed in on the city centre. Sirte had been under the complete control of Islamic State since last year, becoming its most important base outside Syria and Iraq, and its loss would be a major setback for the group. After a lull in fighting earlier this week, the government-backed forces launched a fresh assault on several fronts in Sirte, after first pounding Islamic State positions with artillery and air strikes. The brigades, made up mainly of fighters from the western city of Misrata, said in a statement that they had captured a hotel on the eastern front line used by Islamic State snipers, and also taken control of part of the "Dollar" neighbourhood. They said they had foiled three attempted car bomb attacks and destroyed an armoured vehicle. A Reuters witness saw a tank belonging to the brigades being blown up, though it was not clear what caused the explosion. He said shelling continued late into Thursday night, but it was quiet today morning. Nearly 50 bodies of Islamic State fighters killed during Thursday's clashes were counted, the statement from the government-backed forces said. At least 22 brigade members were killed and 175 wounded, according to Misrata's central hospital. Since the campaign for Sirte began in May, more than 300 fighters from the brigades have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded, a spokesman for the forces said. Islamic State expanded into Libya amid the political chaos and security vacuum that developed after long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in an uprising in 2011. The group extended its presence along about 250 kilometres of Libya's coastline, but failed to win and retain territory elsewhere in the country. (Reuters)

Libyan forces claim gains in fierce fight against Islamic State in Sirte

At least 56 civilians were killed on Tuesday in air strikes north of the besieged Islamic State-held city of Manbij in northern Syria. Residents said they believed the attack was carried out by US-led warplanes, a monitoring group said. 
 
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead included 11 children, and that dozens more were wounded.&nbsp; 
 
The US-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, launched an offensive at the end of May to seize the last territory held by Islamic State (IS) insurgents on Syria&#39;s frontier with Turkey. 
 
Supported by US coalition air strikes, the SDF have surrounded the city, but Islamic State attacks still occur in some areas of the surrounding countryside. 
 
On Monday, 21 were killed in raids also believed to have been conducted by US-led coalition aircraft on Manbij&#39;s northern Hazawneh quarter.&nbsp; 
 
But progress into Manbij city has been slow. The militants have deployed snipers, planted mines and prevented civilians from leaving, hampering efforts to bomb the city without causing heavy casualties, according to Kurdish sources. 
 
The Observatory said at least 104 civilians have died from air strikes since the start of the Manbij offensive in late May.&nbsp; 
 
Colonel Chris Garver, a spokesman for the US coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, said it was looking into reports of civilian deaths but was being &quot;extraordinarily careful to make sure&quot; air strikes were killing IS fighters. 
 
&quot;Around Manbij, the Syrian Arab Coalition (SAC - Arab groups within the SDF), which is leading that fight, is being very slow and deliberate in that fight to protect civilians which we know are inside.&quot; 
 
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recently voiced concern for the roughly 70,000 civilians believed to be trapped between warring parties in Manbij. 
 
&quot;Civilians have...reportedly been killed if they leave their homes or attempt to flee. Families are unable to access local cemeteries to bury their relatives who have died or been killed, and are burying them in their gardens or keeping the corpses in bunkers,&quot; Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said. 
 
&quot;The town has no electricity or water at present, and no medical facilities are known to be operating. As the SDF closes in on the city, (Islamic State) has not permitted civilians to leave the area.&quot; 
 
The coalition said it has conducted more than 450 strikes in the vicinity of Manbij. It routinely investigates civilian deaths and publishes the results of confirmed incidents. 
 
Between September 10, 2015 and February 2, 2016, coalition air strikes in Iraq and Syria probably killed 20 civilians and injured 11 others, the US Central Command said in April.&nbsp; 
 
On Tuesday, the coalition said the SAC captured an IS command centre in western Manbij on Sunday that was concealed in a hospital and was also being used as a logistics hub. 
 
The SAC had also taken a significant area of the city during the operation, giving civilians an opportunity to flee, a statement from the Combined Joint Task Force said. 
 
(Reuters)

Residents say they believe the attack was carried out by US-led warplanes in strikes north of IS-held city, Manbij

At least 56 civilians were killed on Tuesday in air strikes north of the besieged Islamic State-held city of Manbij in northern Syria. Residents said they believed the attack was carried out by US-led warplanes, a monitoring group said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead included 11 children, and that dozens more were wounded. The US-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, launched an offensive at the end of May to seize the last territory held by Islamic State (IS) insurgents on Syria's frontier with Turkey. Supported by US coalition air strikes, the SDF have surrounded the city, but Islamic State attacks still occur in some areas of the surrounding countryside. On Monday, 21 were killed in raids also believed to have been conducted by US-led coalition aircraft on Manbij's northern Hazawneh quarter. But progress into Manbij city has been slow. The militants have deployed snipers, planted mines and prevented civilians from leaving, hampering efforts to bomb the city without causing heavy casualties, according to Kurdish sources. The Observatory said at least 104 civilians have died from air strikes since the start of the Manbij offensive in late May. Colonel Chris Garver, a spokesman for the US coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, said it was looking into reports of civilian deaths but was being "extraordinarily careful to make sure" air strikes were killing IS fighters. "Around Manbij, the Syrian Arab Coalition (SAC - Arab groups within the SDF), which is leading that fight, is being very slow and deliberate in that fight to protect civilians which we know are inside." The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recently voiced concern for the roughly 70,000 civilians believed to be trapped between warring parties in Manbij. "Civilians have...reportedly been killed if they leave their homes or attempt to flee. Families are unable to access local cemeteries to bury their relatives who have died or been killed, and are burying them in their gardens or keeping the corpses in bunkers," Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said. "The town has no electricity or water at present, and no medical facilities are known to be operating. As the SDF closes in on the city, (Islamic State) has not permitted civilians to leave the area." The coalition said it has conducted more than 450 strikes in the vicinity of Manbij. It routinely investigates civilian deaths and publishes the results of confirmed incidents. Between September 10, 2015 and February 2, 2016, coalition air strikes in Iraq and Syria probably killed 20 civilians and injured 11 others, the US Central Command said in April. On Tuesday, the coalition said the SAC captured an IS command centre in western Manbij on Sunday that was concealed in a hospital and was also being used as a logistics hub. The SAC had also taken a significant area of the city during the operation, giving civilians an opportunity to flee, a statement from the Combined Joint Task Force said. (Reuters)

Air strikes kill 56 civilians in northern Syria

The US-led coalition fighting Islamic State said on Friday that it could not confirm a report by an Iraqi TV channel that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been wounded in air strikes. 
 
A spokesman of the coalition, Colonel Chris Garver, said in an email that he had seen the reports but had &quot;nothing to confirm this at this time&quot;. 
 
Al Sumariya TV cited local sources in Iraq&#39;s Nineveh province that Baghdadi and other Islamic State leaders were wounded on Thursday in a coalition air strike on one of the group&#39;s command headquarters close to the Syrian border. 
 
The channel has good connections with Shi&#39;ite politicians and Iraqi forces engaged in the battle against Islamic State. 
 
There have been several reports in the past that Baghdadi, whose real name is Ibrahim al-Samarrai, was killed or wounded after proclaiming himself caliph of all Muslims two years ago. 
 
The ultra-hardline Sunni group is under increased pressure in both Iraq and Syria, and the territory under its control has shrunk significantly since 2014, limiting the potential for its leaders to move around or seek shelter. 
 
The U.S. earlier this year announced an intensification of the war on Islamic State with more air strikes and more American troops on the ground to advise and assist allied forces. 
 
The U.S.-led coalition has regularly flown raids out of Erbil, the capital of Iraq&#39;s Kurdistan region, in operations aimed at killing and capturing Islamic State leaders. 
 
A Kurdish intelligence official and an Arab from the Baaj area west of Mosul said the U.S.-led coalition had conducted such a raid there earlier this week. The coalition did not confirm this raid. 
 
Kurdish Peshmerga forces are positioned in an arc around the north and east of Mosul while the Iraqi army is trying to capture Falluja, the group&#39;s stronghold near Baghdad. 
 
The Iraqi army is also assembling tanks and troops in south of Mosul, for an offensive planned later this year to retake the largest city under the control of the militants. 
 
In Syria, Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian government forces and U.S.-backed Syrian opposition and Kurds are separately trying to advance on Raqqa, the group&#39;s capital in Syria

Al Sumariya TV had cited local sources in Iraq's Nineveh province as saying Baghdadi had been wounded on Thursday in a coalition air strike

The US-led coalition fighting Islamic State said on Friday that it could not confirm a report by an Iraqi TV channel that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been wounded in air strikes. A spokesman of the coalition, Colonel Chris Garver, said in an email that he had seen the reports but had "nothing to confirm this at this time". Al Sumariya TV cited local sources in Iraq's Nineveh province that Baghdadi and other Islamic State leaders were wounded on Thursday in a coalition air strike on one of the group's command headquarters close to the Syrian border. The channel has good connections with Shi'ite politicians and Iraqi forces engaged in the battle against Islamic State. There have been several reports in the past that Baghdadi, whose real name is Ibrahim al-Samarrai, was killed or wounded after proclaiming himself caliph of all Muslims two years ago. The ultra-hardline Sunni group is under increased pressure in both Iraq and Syria, and the territory under its control has shrunk significantly since 2014, limiting the potential for its leaders to move around or seek shelter. The U.S. earlier this year announced an intensification of the war on Islamic State with more air strikes and more American troops on the ground to advise and assist allied forces. The U.S.-led coalition has regularly flown raids out of Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region, in operations aimed at killing and capturing Islamic State leaders. A Kurdish intelligence official and an Arab from the Baaj area west of Mosul said the U.S.-led coalition had conducted such a raid there earlier this week. The coalition did not confirm this raid. Kurdish Peshmerga forces are positioned in an arc around the north and east of Mosul while the Iraqi army is trying to capture Falluja, the group's stronghold near Baghdad. The Iraqi army is also assembling tanks and troops in south of Mosul, for an offensive planned later this year to retake the largest city under the control of the militants. In Syria, Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian government forces and U.S.-backed Syrian opposition and Kurds are separately trying to advance on Raqqa, the group's capital in Syria

US-led coalition can't confirm report that Islamic State leader Baghdadi wounded

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