More than 800 health workers have died in "acts of war crimes" in Syria since 2011, a group of researchers said Wednesday (March 15th).

According to an analysis published in The Lancet medical journal and compiled by experts from universities in Beirut, Britain and the US, the Syrian American Medical Society and Multi-Aid Programmes, 782 health workers were killed from March 2011 to September last year, AFP reported.

Of the total, 247 were doctors, 176 nurses and 146 medics, according to Physicians for Human Rights, a nonprofit group.

The rest included pharmacists, medical students, ambulance workers and veterinarians, added to the list because they were killed while treating people.

Shelling and bombing of hospitals and clinics accounted for 426 deaths, the report said. Shootings of medical professionals followed with 180 deaths, torture with 101 and executions with 61.

Since September 2016, at least 32 more lost their lives, "which brings the total number of health workers killed in acts of war crimes over the six years of the conflict to 814", the study said, adding that this was probably an underestimate.

An estimated 15,000 doctors have fled the country.