Four Syria hospitals shut after government air stirkes

BEIRUT;

Four hospitals in the northern Syrian
province of Daraa have been forced
to close in recent days after intensive
government air strikes ,a monitor said
on Thursday,

The Syrian Observatory for human
Rights said at least 18 people were killed
in government strikes across Daraa last
week including in a raid that hit a rebel
check point near a field hospital in the
town of Saida,,

"A member of the hospita's staff was killed
along the three fighters"the Britain based
monitor said,
"The strike damaged  the Saida field hospital
which is the fourth hospital to stop work
within a week in Daraa province because
on intensive government strikes Oservatory
said a hospital run by a charity in the town
of Easthern Ghariyah had also closed its
doors because of 'continuous  regime tar
geting and the need to protect the safety
of our staff.

On June 16 at least 16 people ,most of them
children ,were killed in  Syrian government
air strikes in Easthern Ghariyah.according
to the Observatory,

The monitor said two other hospitals,in the
towns o Naama and Tafas ,had also closed
their doors in recent days because of damage
caused by aerial strikes or fear of further raids,

The Observatory said Wednesday 's government
strikes in Daraa including raids in and around the
town of Saida  that left 13 dead,

Another five people were killed in a barrel bomb
attack in Tafas the monitor said Syria's official
Sana news agency reported that at least 15
terrorist were killed and a bomb making factory
was destroyed in an army operation against terrorist
positions in the town of Saida,

Rights organisations and medical groups have
regularly warned about declining medical
conditions staff have frequently come under
attack during the more than four year conflict,
AFP