An airstrike by the US-led coalition against Islamic State on a school west of the Syrian city of Raqqa has killed at least 33 people, many of whom had fled nearby fighting, sparking further concerns that new rules of engagements may be causing an increase in civilian casualties.

The attack follows a separate US strike on a mosque complex in the north-west of the country last Saturday that killed at least 52 people. The incident triggered fears that a White House-ordered review of rules governing the use of drones had already given military planners more flexibility on ordering strikes.

Activists in Syria said the attack on the school took place in the same area where US-backed Kurdish forces had begun an operation on Wednesday to separate the town of Tabqa from Isis’s last urban stronghold in Syria.(the guardian)…[+]