At least 32 Islamic State fighters ‘killed in coalition airstrikes in Syria’

At least 32 Islamic State fighters were killed on Sunday in US-led coalition air strikes on the group’s Syrian stronghold of Raqqa province. More than 40 IS jihadists were also wounded in a series of about 15 strikes, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The wave of raids hit IS bases to the north, east and southeast of Raqqa city, which is the group’s de facto Syrian headquarters, he added. Casualty figures were collected from a single hospital and the final toll could rise. The US-led coalition has been carrying out strikes against IS in Syria since last September, expanding a campaign that began with raids in neighbouring Iraq. It has expanded its operations in recent days, partly in response to the deadly attacks in Paris. Britain voted on Wednesday to join the coalition’s strikes in Syria and German MPs on Friday approved plans to support the military action against the group in Syria.