DAMASCUS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 civilians were killed in airstrikes believed to have been executed by a U.S-led anti-terror coalition against rebel-held areas in northern Syria, a monitor group said on Thursday.
The airstrikes targeted several areas in al-Raqqa province's eastern countryside, the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) group, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Four women and six children under 18 were among those killed, most of whom were from the same family, added the London-based watchdog group.
The group said the death toll will likely rise due to the large number of critically wounded civilians.
The Observatory urged the international coalition to be mindful when striking al-Raqqa.
"Nothing justifies the killing of civilians," it said.
The monitor group said 890 civilians have been killed in Syria in strikes by the U.S-led coalition since 2014.
Recently, the military campaign against al-Raqqa has intensified.
The U.S-led coalition is strongly supported by the Kurdish-led groups of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the campaign against al-Raqqa.
Lately, the SDF successfully besieged the city, leaving IS with only one way out via the Euphrates River.
