Syrian War News Updates -- May 29, 2017

SKY News: Airstrikes in Raqqa as fight to oust Islamic State from Syria lair intensifies

Militants are surrounded on three sides in their city stronghold as civilians are warned failing to leave "could lead to death".

Raqqa has been hit by fresh airstrikes as US-backed forces intensified the fight to remove Islamic State from their Syrian stronghold, according to activists.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was not known how many people were injured in the blasts on Monday.

Around 38 people have been killed in the last three days as the city was rocked by airstrikes and artillery shelling, it added.

The Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) are pushing closer to IS' de facto capital and fighters have surrounded the city from the north, west and east.

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Syrian War News Updates -- May 29, 2017

In Syria, more airstrikes hit IS de facto capital of Raqqa -- AP
Civilian death toll rises in Syria's Raqqa -- Al Jazeera
New US-led Syria strike kills 80 relatives of IS fighters: monitor -- AFP
Trump said he would ‘take out’ the families of ISIS fighters. Did an airstrike in Syria do just that? -- Washington Post
Isis slaughtering civilians in Syrian towns already hit by US air strikes -- The Independent
Syria urges UN to immediately halt US coalition strikes, which ‘spread chaos & benefit terrorists’ -- RT
US, Russia calls increase to avoid air mishaps in Syria -- Military Times/AP
US-led coalition warns Syrian forces as tensions rise ahead of Isis battle -- Financial Times
Rebels reopen border crossing between Syria, Iraq -- Syria Direct
Syrian army, allied militia gain ground against IS -- AP
Russian military in Syria to prevent militants’ withdrawal from Raqqa towards Palmyra -- TASS
Guns and bullets and nothing more: The Syrian Kurds fighting Isis -- New Statesman
Damascus, Amman exchange threats as border tensions flare -- Al-Monitor
Sources: Iran to Bankroll Pro-Government Militia Fighters in Syria -- VOA
Iran prepared to deploy troops in Syria -- Tehran Times
Iran Ready to Deploy Safe Zone Monitors in Syria -- Sputnik
An exiled Syrian journalist tells us what it was like to write under Assad -- Business Insider