Several Syrian children killed in Assad regime attack on Hama town

Four children from the same family were killed when Assad regime forces shelled an opposition-held area in the northern part of the war-torn country, a monitoring group reported on Sunday.

Five other civilians from the same family were injured in the overnight attack, which targeted the town of Qastoun in the northern province of Hama, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights added.

The non-governmental rescue group White Helmets posted a photo on Twitter, purportedly showing the four dead children and gave their names. The ages of the victims were not disclosed.

The group said the attack was mounted by the pro-Assad forces and their Russian allies.

Syria has been roiled by a civil war for more than 10 years.

Russia and Iran back the Bashar al-Assad regime, while Turkey has been supporting opposition forces since a pro-democracy uprising erupted against al-Assad's rule in March 2011.