AFTER two devastating air strikes on Syrian hospitals in the past week, the United Nations Security Council has unanimously passed a resolution to remind all warring parties of the rules.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council the attacks on health facilities and medical workers were all too often the intended object of the combatants.

"This is shameful and inexcusable," he said.

The resolution calls on governments to prosecute those responsible for such attacks.

Mr Ban said more than 730 medical staff had been killed since the start of the Syrian conflict in 360 attacks on 250 medical facilities.

On Wednesday last week, at least 55 people were killed in an Aleppo hospital in an air strike believed to have been carried out by Syrian government forces.

On Tuesday, Syrian media reported three women were killed and 17 people wounded when an Aleppo maternity clinic was hit by rebel rocket fire.