A/HRC/37/72 claiming that the Russian Federation was seeking to bypass the United Nations-facilitated intra-Syrian talks in Geneva. IV. Fall of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant A. Raqqah 36. As early as February 2012, the Commission expressed concern that the conflict carried the risk of radicalization4 and, since then, it has consistently documented violations by terrorist and extremist groups. Through the use of indiscriminate attacks or attacks against civilians, often with sectarian undertones, these groups had been responsible for countless deaths of men, women and children. On 2 October 2017, ISIL carried out a suicide bombing in the Maydan neighbourhood of Damascus city, killing 17 persons, including several police officers, and injuring 20 others. Similar attacks had been carried out by the terrorist group against internally displaced persons who had fled battles in Raqqah and Dayr al-Zawr, killing and wounding dozens, including women and children (see annex III, para. 14). 37. Since 2013, ISIL had prioritized the building of a “state” or “caliphate”. By targeting local leaders and activists and exploiting social fragmentation and economically desperate communities, it quickly gained control over a considerable swathe of territory in the country, with Raqqah city serving as its de facto capital. Designated a terrorist group by the Security Council, ISIL became synonymous with brutality. 5 The Commission has reported on its findings of genocide, 6 crimes against humanity and war crimes7 committed by ISIL. 38. In November 2016, the Syrian Democratic Forces announced that it would be launching “Operation Wrath on the Euphrates” aimed at capturing Raqqah governorate. After quickly advancing across the governorate, in June 2017, the Forces launched the last stage of the operation to take control of Raqqah city. Their ground offensive was carried out together with extensive air support from the international coalition. 8 Although by midOctober, the Forces and the international coalition had successfully ousted ISIL, the battle for Raqqah city was marked by violations committed by all sides and came at an extremely high cost to civilians. At the height of the operation, the international coalition conducted about 150 airstrikes daily that resulted in the destruction of much of Raqqah city9 and large numbers of civilian casualties. In an attempt to escape the violence, some 200,000 people left their homes, with no choice but to move to camps for internally displaced persons managed by the Syrian Democratic Forces, where they were held in internment (see annex III, paras. 12–18). Some of the few who stayed in the city were used by ISIL as human shields to prevent advances by enemy forces. 1. International coalition airstrikes 39. On the night of 20 to 21 March 2017, at approximately 11 p.m., United States-led coalition forces carried out an airstrike against Al-Badiya school in Mansurah (Raqqah), an area that was under ISIL control at the time. The Commission initially reported on that incident in July 201710 and its findings are detailed in annex IV below (paras. 7–11). The Commission conducted 20 interviews with survivors, relatives of victims, rescuers, village 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 See A/HRC/19/69, para. 124. See A/HRC/27/CRP.3. See A/HRC/32/CRP.2. See A/HRC/27/CRP.3. Since 2014, an international coalition of more than 60 countries joined together to combat ISIL through a variety of means, including airstrikes. United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT), “Syria: Ar Raqqa/Ar Raqqa governorate”, Imagery analysis taken 21 October 2017, published 1 December 2017, available at http://unosat-maps.web.cern.ch/unosatmaps/SY/CE20130604SYR/UNOSAT_A3_Raqqa_Damage_Points_20171021.pdf. See A/HRC/36/55, para. 79. 9