By Erdal Turkoglu

HATAY, Turkey

At least ten people were killed in a regime artillery shelling in the northwestern Latakia province on Wednesday, according to a local source.

The shelling targeted opposition-held areas in the Turkmen Mountain (Jabal al-Turkman) region, the source said on condition of anonymity due to safety fears.

Three people were also injured in the attack, the source added.

Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since March 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

While UN officials say hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict to date, Syrian regime officials say the total death toll is closer to 10,000.