At least 18 civilians were killed on June 12 when missiles struck Afrin’s Al-Shifaa hospital The strike on the facility seemed to have been planned and executed with military precision Updated 03 July 2021 July 03, 2021 18:50 ALEPPO, SYRIA: In Arabic, the word Shifaa means “to heal.” The aptly named Al-Shifaa hospital in northwest Syria was the largest in rebel-held Afrin, treating tens of thousands of patients every month. With its emergency room and maternity unit, including pre- and post-natal care for mothers and their children, Al-Shifaa offered Syrians the gift of life. Now it is no more. Two missiles slammed into the facility during a busy afternoon on June 12 — a technique known in military parlance as a “double tap.” At least 18 civilians were killed, including five members of staff. Nearly 40 more were wounded. It remains unclear who was responsible for the carnage.