In Syria, at least 42 civilians were killed in a barrage of US-led air strikes on Islamic State (IS) group territory in the northern city of Raqa. News agency AFP quoting Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said 19 children and 12 women were among those killed in the raids.<br/><br/>The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is a UK-based group monitoring the Syrian conflict via a network of contacts on the ground. The toll marked the second consecutive day of ferocious bombardment on Raqa, more than half of which has been captured by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces battling IS. <br/><br/>The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has meanwhile also confirmed that at least 70 fighters from ISIS were killed in a Russian air attack on a convoy in the countryside west of Deir Az Zor on Friday. However, Russian state news agency TASS claimed that Russian fighter jets killed more than 200 Islamic State fighters in Deir Az Zor without specifying date of the attack.

In Syria, at least 42 civilians were killed in US-led air strikes on an Islamic State terror group territory in Raqa. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, 19 children and 12 women were among those killed in the raids which hit several neighbourhoods in the northern city.<br/><br/>The toll marked the second consecutive day of bombardment on Raqa, more than half of which has been captured by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces battling the terror group.