WASHINGTON - The United States has seen a 'marked and troubling' increase in reports of Syrian civilian casualties since the start of the Russian air campaign on Sept. 30, a concern U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has raised with Moscow, the State Department said on Tuesday. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said non-governmental groups had issued 'extremely disturbing' reports that Russian air strikes had killed hundreds of civilians, including emergency response workers, and had hit medical facilities, schools and markets. 'We've seen a marked and troubling increase in reports of these civilian casualties since Russia commenced its air campaign there,' Toner said, noting that Kerry had raised the issue in a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
