London, July 6 (RHC)-- At least 224 civilians have lost their lives over the past month in airstrikes conducted by the U.S.-led coalition purportedly fighting Daesh terrorists in the northern Syrian city of Raqqah, a London-based monitor group says. 

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the death toll covered the period since the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed group of mostly Kurdish forces, entered Raqqah on June 6th. 

"At least 224 civilians, including 38 children and 28 women, have been killed in airstrikes by the global coalition on Raqqah since the SDF entered it," it said.  The observatory further noted that clashes and airstrikes in Raqqah had killed 311 Daesh elements and 106 SDF members since June 6th.  

The U.S. and its allies have been bombarding what they call Daesh positions inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate. 

Daesh captured Raqqah in July 2014 and declared the city its stronghold in Syria.  Fighting is underway to retake Raqqah from the grip of militants while tens of thousands of civilians are believed to be trapped inside in the city.