Russia accuses US of 'barbaric' bombing of Raqqa
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BEIRUT – Russia's Defense Ministry says the Syrian city of Raqqa, formerly the self-declared capital of the Islamic State group, has been devastated as much as Dresden in World War II, and accuses the United States and its coalition partners of "barbaric" bombardment.
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces claimed Friday to have taken control of Raqqa. The SDF is opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose army is supported by Russian forces.
In a statement Sunday, Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.-Gen. Igor Konashenkov said thousands of civilians were killed in the battle for Raqqa. The city suffered "the fate of Dresden of 1945, which was erased by British-American bombardment," he said.
Western announcements of aid for Raqqa seek "to hide evidence of the barbaric bombing," Konashenkov added.
