Syria accuses U.S. of war crimes in northern Raqqa province

DAMASCUS, April 19 (Xinhua) -- It's time to expose the crimes of the U.S.-led coalition in killing thousands of civilians in Syria's northern Raqqa province by airstrikes and shelling, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said on Monday night.

In a statement, the ministry said that the U.S.-led coalition must be held accountable for the "war crimes" committed in Raqqa, the former de-facto capital of the Islamic State, in 2017.

"The U.S. military operation launched by the coalition forces on Raqqa between June and October 2017 led to the almost complete destruction of the city and the extermination of thousands of civilians whose bodies were buried under the rubble," the statement read.

It added that such practices are among the most heinous crimes which deserve more attention from the international community.

The extent of the damage to infrastructure, private and public properties, and the number of casualties testified that the United States and its allies perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the ministry.

"Syria reserves its right in holding governments of states that were involved with the U.S.-led coalition the political, moral, and legal responsibility for the crimes perpetrated by the military forces and for the losses and damage that affected the private and public properties," it said.