UN rights boss urges all sides to spare civilians in Raqqa

At least 173 civilians have been killed in air and ground operations against Daesh this month in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the United Nations human rights chief said on Wednesday, calling it a conservative figure.

Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein urged all sides in the battle to oust the Daesh terrorists, "including international forces", to take all feasible precautions to spare the lives of 100,000 civilians still trapped. "Civilians must not be sacrificed for the sake of rapid military victories," Zeid said in a statement issued in Geneva.