U.S.-led coalition warplanes on Friday struck Daesh positions in eastern Syria, leaving a number of civilians dead, according to local sources.
Twenty people in Deir ez-Zour's Al-Susah district were killed by the strikes after trying to flee an exchange of fire between Daesh and the PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorist group, sources said.
Backed by the U.S., the YPG has recently registered gains in Deir el-Zour's rural outskirts.
In September of last year, the terrorist group -- aided by U.S. air support and French artillery batteries -- managed to wrest Deir el-Zour from Daesh.
According to estimates, nearly one-third of Syria is currently controlled by YPG terrorists.
The coalition's military operations in the area have continually resulted in suffering and casualties among civilians.
In November, at least 17 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed when a U.S.-led coalition shelled the village of Albo Badran near the Daesh-held town of al-Sousse.
Coalition forces targeted the same area earlier that month, killing 20 civilians.
The U.S. has partnered with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which mainly consists of the PKK's Syrian affiliate the YPG, to combat Daesh in Syria, despite warnings from Turkey against the repercussions of using one terrorist group to defeat another.
Turkey sees no difference between the PKK, a group also listed on U.S. and EU terror lists, and the YPG in Syria, as the two groups are organically linked and have fluid movement of members between their lines.
