Daesh was dealt a major blow when it was forced out of its Syrian stronghold of Raqqa. But the military operation that defeated the group is now facing criticism. Russian forces accuse the United States of wiping Raqqa off the face of the Earth, following a 19 week campaign led by a US-backed coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters. Syrian activists also say more than 1,800 non-combatants were killed, despite US assurances civilian causalities would be limited.