Syrian opposition activist groups say airstrikes have killed at least 17 people just south of the northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the militant Islamic State (IS) group.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 18 people were killed in the airstrikes on the road between the villages of Ratla and Kasrat. It said Sunday's airstrikes hit busses, adding that the identity of the dead is not known.

The activist-operated Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently said 17 civilians were killed in the airstrike on busses carrying civilians.

Both groups blamed the US-led coalition, which has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria against IS since September 2014.

US-backed Syrian fighters have been marching toward Raqqa for weeks under the cover of coalition airstrikes.

Opinion

Editorial

AJK elections
29 Jul, 2026

AJK elections

CONSIDERING the political unrest that has rocked Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past, free and fair general...
Still vulnerable
29 Jul, 2026

Still vulnerable

THE State Bank’s decision to hold the policy rate at 11.5pc is a prudent response to the heightened risks the...
Guarding the past
29 Jul, 2026

Guarding the past

THE return of 513 smuggled archaeological artefacts from the US is a welcome homecoming for objects that should ...
Lull in fighting
Updated 28 Jul, 2026

Lull in fighting

AFTER two weeks of escalating violence, the US has halted its strikes on Iran, with Tehran also silencing it guns....
Water policy
28 Jul, 2026

Water policy

THE country is caught in a crisis where there too much water at the wrong time and too little when it is most ...
Ending hepatitis
28 Jul, 2026

Ending hepatitis

WORLD Hepatitis Day is being observed under the theme ‘Hepatitis: Let’s break it down’, a call to remove the...