Raqqa civilians held by ISIS terrorists as ‘human shields’

Civilians in ISIS’s long-time Syrian capital of Raqqa are being held as “human shields” as the militant group loses control of the city, the US-led coalition has warned.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the Combined Joint Task Force Inherent Resolve said that discussions are under way to determine the best way to enable civilians trapped by ISIL to exit the city, “where some are being held as human shields by the terrorists”.

The task force, which was set up by the US Central Command to coordinate military efforts against ISIL, said that the Raqqa Civil Council, in conjunction with local Arab tribal elders, is taking a special interest in protecting civilians and preventing a significant humanitarian crisis as they flee the last ISIL-held portion of Raqqa.

“We have a responsibility to defeat Daesh while preserving civilian life to the greatest extent possible,” said the coalition’s director of operations brigadier general Jonathan Braga.

Source: The National