UN rights boss decries civilian casualties in Syria air strikes

The U.N. human rights chief called on all air forces operating in Syria on Friday to take greater care to distinguish between legitimate military targets and civilians in their escalating air strikes especially in the northeast against Islamic State.

"The rising toll of civilian deaths and injuries already caused by airstrikes in Deir-ez-Zor and Al-Raqqa suggests that insufficient precautions may have been taken in the attacks," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said in a statement.

His spokesman Rupert Colville told a Geneva briefing: "There are multiple air forces operating in this part of Syria including the (U.S.-led) coalition, mainly the coalition. We also understand that there are Iraqi airplanes as well."

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)