A maternity hospital in Syria has been bombed in a shameful and illegal act that sent babies crashing to the floor in their incubators, Save the Children says.
Two people were killed when a bomb struck the entrance of the hospital, in the northwestern city of Idlib, the organization said.
A woman who was six months pregnant had her leg severed and two other women suffered shrapnel wounds to their stomachs, it said.
Babies and a number of patients and staff were injured.
“Bombing a maternity hospital which is helping women living under the shadow of war to give birth safely is a shameful act, whether it was done intentionally or because due care was not taken to avoid civilian areas,” Save the Children’s Syria Director Sonia Khush said.
“There is no excuse, and, unfortunately, this is only the latest in a series of strikes on health facilities in Syria.
“We condemn these attacks, which are illegal under international law, in the strongest possible terms,” Khush said, calling for an immediate ceasefire across Syria.
Speaking earlier to CNN from the charity’s office in London, spokeswoman Emma Pomfret said: “The bomb hit the entrance of the hospital, which sees 1,300 women monthly and carries out over 300 deliveries a month.”
The hospital was set up in June 2014 and is supported by Save the Children through its partner Syria Relief.
“The aftermath of the horrific #Syria hospital bombing. Our thoughts are with families & team members on the ground,” Save the Children said in a tweet Friday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed reports of the bombing and said that as of now perpetrators are not known.
Meantime, the Syrian Network for Human Rights has released a report on the aftermath of the cessation of hostilities that was agreed in February.
The NGO claims 5,188 civilians have been killed and 3,631 injured in the five months since then, with 71% of all violations committed by the Russian and Syrian regimes.
However, the Russian coordination center in Latakia, Syria, released a statement blaming terrorist groups for what it said had been 841 incidents violating the agreement.