Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa released a statement on yesterday’s Turkish massacre of children in Til Rifat town of the Shehba Canton in northern Syria.

“We are shocked and saddened at reports that eight children were killed and another eight were injured in attacks on Tal Rifaat town, northern Aleppo. All of them were under the age of 15,” said the statement and noted that this brings the number of children killed in the north of Syria to at least 34 in the past four weeks alone.

The statement remarked that the number of children killed is increasing as relentless violence continues in several parts of Syria, adding; “In almost nine years of conflict, the fundamental principle of protection of children has been completely disregarded.”

UNICEF reminded all parties to the conflict in Syria that “children must always be protected, they are not a target and those who kill children deliberately will be held accountable”.