title: syrian forces purge terrorists from town in hama province
text: rt october   
  around  civilians were killed in eleven airstrikes conducted by the usled coalition in syria which amnesty international investigated for its latest report amnesty says the us must come clean about the civilian toll of its fight against islamic state 
  amnesty suspects that us central command centcom which directs coalition airstrikes in syria may have carried out unlawful attacks in syria failing to take necessary measures to prevent civilian killings 
  we fear the usled coalition is significantly underestimating the harm caused to civilians in its operations in syria said lynn maalouf deputy director for research at amnesty internationals beirut regional office 
  its high time the us authorities came clean about the full extent of the civilian damage caused by coalition attacks in syria independent and impartial investigations must be carried out into any potential violations of international humanitarian law and the findings should be made public 
  amnesty investigated evidence including eyewitness accounts reports by human rights organizations and the media photographs and video footage as well as satellite imagery related to  suspected coalition attacks in syria the group estimates that the attacks have claimed as many as  civilian lives so far none of these deaths has been acknowledged by centcom 
  the report published on wednesday added that the total civilian death toll from coalition action could be as high as  or more than  since the operation against islamic state is formerly isis isil started in syria in  
  one of the strikes investigated by amnesty took place in the early hours of december   the attacks hit two houses in the village of ayn alkhan near alhawl in alhasakah governorate in northern syria killing  civilians including  children and injuring at least  others the report said a d v e r t i s e m e n t 
  according to an eyewitness account an initial night strike was followed by a second attack from a helicopter gunship which hit first responders trying to dig out survivors 
  at this point i had a twomonthold baby boy in my arms whom i had rescued the hit caused me to fall and drop him i fell into the hole made by the air strike that was what saved me my mother aunt wife and children  a daughter who was four years old and a son who was two and a half were all killed the woman and her son who id rescued were killed everyone but me was killed the survivor said 
  the strike is believed to have targeted is fighters but local kurdish militia reportedly warned the coalition that there were civilians in the area 
  amnesty said centcoms failure to acknowledge civilian deaths in syria as well as the poor record of investigating such incidents in afghanistan and iraq poses grave concerns over the toll which the civilian population of mosul iraq is likely to face from the ongoing operation to take the city from is the usled coalition is providing air support for the offensive 
  given the likely increase in air strikes by the usled coalition as part of the iraqi offensive to recapture mosul it is even more pressing that centcom be fully transparent about the impact of their military actions on civilians and it is crucial that they adhere scrupulously to international humanitarian law including by taking all feasible precautions to spare civilians and to minimize harm to civilian homes and infrastructure said maalouf 
  a similar operation to capture manbij syria which is far smaller than mosul killed more than  civilians amnesty estimated 
  last week amnesty international blasted russia for civilian deaths in aleppo the syrian city is divided between government forces and various armed groups including the alqaeda offshoot alnusra front russia says that the militants use civilians as human shields and would not allow them to leave the city derailing several attempts by russia to open humanitarian corridors out of the city this article was posted wednesday october   at  am share this article