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Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Syrian officials said Thursday a U.S.-led coalition airstrike killed 11 civilians in the residential town of al-Sha'afa in the Deir Ezzor province. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said that the attack in al-Sha'afa damaged homes and other properties.
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"Civil sources told SANA reporter that warplanes of the US-led coalition launched an aggression on al-Sha'afa town, under the pretext of combating (Islamic State) terrorists, killing 11 citizens from one family," the agency said, calling the victims martyrs. "Today's massacre adds to tens of previous massacres perpetrated by the said coalition on Deir Ezzor countryside."
The state-run Russian news agency TASS said there have been at least 1,139 civilians killed in Iraq and Syria as a result of strikes from the coalition since the summer of 2014, according to coalition data. The U.S.-led coalition has been fighting the Islamic State in the region and has frequently been at odds with forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia, particularly over Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons on civilians.
The Moscow Times reported a Russian woman, 35, and child, 4, were among the dead, according to Chechnyan human rights council member Kheda Saratova Friday.
"I urge everyone who is able to influence this situation to help stop the killing of innocent children," Saratova, state-run RIA Novosti said.
Saratova said that 15 women had called for help returning their daughters and grandchildren from Syria.
"These women essentially fell hostage to terrorists," Saratova said. "Now they're surrounded, killed by bombs and are pleading their relatives for help."
In December, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he was withdrawing all U.S. troops, about 2,000, out of Syria and proclaimed ISIS had been defeated there. That spurred the resignation of his then-Defense Secretary James Mattis.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said last week, though, that Trump was slowing his withdrawal in the country.
