DISINFO: US-led coalition strike in Syria targets civilians, killing 50
SUMMARY
At least 50 people were killed in a US-led coalition airstrike on a civilian camp near Baghouz village in Syria, one of the few remaining ISIS enclaves.
RESPONSE
The story advances a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative of war crimes perpetrated in Syria by the US and its allies, and provides no evidence of any civilian deaths resulting from the coalition's offensive on Baghouz. The report is based on an article by SANA, the regime-controlled Syrian news agency which cites "local sources" as saying that the strikes "targeted" civilians escaping from the area. The article fails to mention that the Baghouz operation was preceded by an evacuation of around 20,000 civilians from the surrounding areas, led by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF]. As a number of women and children remain in the ISIS-held enclave, SDF troops are advancing on the ground specifically to minimize casualties, with air support from the International Coalition. See here for more details on the ongoing operation.