Doctors Without Borders: Hospital barrel bombed in Syria, 7 dead

ZAFARANA, Syria, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- A hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders was barrel bombed in Syria, causing seven deaths and the partial destruction of the building, the non-profit organization said.

The "double-tap" barrel bombings occurred first at about 9:40 a.m. on Saturday in a populated area in the town of Zafarana in Syria's northern Homs province. Nearly an hour later, two barrel bombs were dropped at the entrance of the hospital -- injuring 47 patients and medical staff.

"This bombing shows all the signs of a double-tap, where one area is bombed and then a second bombing hits the paramedic response teams or the nearest hospital providing care," Brice de le Vingne, director of operations for Doctors Without Borders, said in a statement. "This double-tap tactic shows a level of calculated destruction that can scarcely be imagined."