Syrian activists shared a photo on social media yesterday of two children they said were killed in US air strikes on Wednesday night which Washington said targeted an al-Qaeda-linked militant faction.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki had no comment on the authenticity of the images or whether they might have been caused by US bombing.

“We of course strive to avoid civilian casualties even in this extremely complex operating environment and we recognise the inherent risk in strikes. When any accusations are made or information is brought forward, we would certainly look into that and take it seriously.”