Scores of civilians being killed

Members of the US-led coalition have been accused of deploying a “scorched earth policy” in Syria by activists who claim to have documented scores of civilian deaths.

One group of anti-IS activists, called Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, has said air strikes supporting a key offensive in Manbij are killing innocent families.

“The international coalition is using a scorched earth policy in the city and supporting the Syrian Democratic forces that have been surrounding the city for two months,” the group said.

Allegations that two separate bombing raids killed at least 100 civilians in nearby villages in little over a week are already under investigation, but there was concern over continuing strikes supporting the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist group, also said hundreds of civilians had been killed since the Manbij offensive started in May, with tens of thousands of people displaced and many more besieged.

It has documented the death of 399 civilians in the area, including almost 100 children under the age of 18 and 50 women, and countless injuries. Activists said 199 of those, including 52 children, 18 women and eight prisoners, were killed in air strikes by the US-led coalition on Manbij and the surrounding countryside.

Tens of thousands of civilians are trapped in the city centre, at risk of bombardment by the international coalition and prevented from escaping by IS fighters and IEDs planted to slow the SDF advance.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said in a daily report that IS fighters may have captured up to 3,000 fleeing Iraqi villagers on Thursday and subsequently executed 12 of them.

It said militants attacked them while they were fleeing villages in al-Hawija district to seek safety in Kirkuk city on Thursday.

Menawhile, US President Barack Obama has touted gains in the campaign against IS, but cautioned that the group can still direct and inspire damaging attacks.

Speaking after meeting with top aides at the Pentagon, Obama said on Thursday that IS will continue to be a threat, highlighting the group's ability to motivate so-called "lone wolf" supporters to launch small-scale attacks that are harder to detect and prevent.

Obama cautioned against overreacting to such attacks and rejected efforts to demonise Muslims as a way to make the US safer.

"I am pleased with the progress that we've made on the ground in Iraq and Syria," Obama said, but added: "We're far from freeing Mosul and Raqqa."

He also criticised Russia for failing "to take the necessary steps" to try to reduce violence in Syria, saying it was time for Moscow "to show that it is serious" about bringing peace.

Obama said the US remains prepared to work with Russia, adding, however, that he was not confident Russia or Putin could be trusted.