According to a war monitor, shelling of the rebel-held city of Afrin in northern Syria killed at least 18 people, many of whom were murdered when a hospital was targeted.

A doctor, three medical personnel, two women, and two children died on Saturday at al-Shifaa hospital, which is held by Turkish-backed rebels, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

According to the observatory, a rebel commander died at the hospital, and 23 people were injured.

In the hospital courtyard, which was strewn with bodies, an AFP correspondent captured footage of white-helmeted assistance workers.

“The shelling hit the hospital and several areas of the town,” observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

“Most of the victims died in shelling on the hospital,” the monitoring group said in a statement, warning the casualty toll could rise further with some of the wounded in a critical condition.

According to the Britain-based organisation, the artillery fire originated in northern Aleppo province, "where militia loyal to Iran and the [Syrian] regime are located, near the zones run by Kurdish forces."

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is led by Kurdish fighters, issued a statement denying any role in the shelling.

Targeted assassinations, bombings, and shootings are common in the region, as they are in all areas controlled by pro-Turkish rebels.
According to the war monitor, Syrian army bombardment on the opposition-held Idlib area killed 12 people on Thursday, one of the bloodiest violations of a 15-month-old ceasefire.

Since the conflict began in 2011, almost 500,000 people have died in Syria.