Teenage photographer whose haunting images of Syria were circulated around the world is killed while capturing battle between rebel and regime forces at a hospital Molhem Barakat was killed while taking photographs of conflict at a hospital in Aleppo The 17-year-old had photographs published around the world after working for global news agency Reuters His portfolio depicts unrelenting violence and civilian life in Syria's largest city Schools in rebel-held parts of city closed after regime aircraft dropped explosive-filled barrels on residential areas A teenage photographer whose images of war-torn Syria were circulated around the world has been killed while covering a conflict at a hospital. Molhem Barakat died on Friday as he took photographs of rebel fighters and Government forces battling over the Kindi Hospital in Aleppo, which had allegedly been turned into a regime barracks. The 17-year-old, who worked for news agency Reuters on a freelance basis, took dozens of photographs capturing the city's unrelenting violence. Molhem Barakat, 17, was killed while taking photographs of rebel fighters and regime forces as they battled over a hospital in Aleppo The teenager originally from Istanbul covered the conflict in Aleppo where he went to school and worked as a freelance photographer The teenager's portfolio depicts the unrelenting violence in the war-torn country where as many as 126,000 civilians have been killed Molhem Barakat had been working for the news agency Reuters on a freelance basis since May His portfolio is equally weighted with images depicting civilian life in the divided city. The teenager had been sending images to Reuters since May, with many of his photographs being published around the world. According to his Facebook profile, Molhem was originally from Istanbul but went to school in the city before starting work as a freelance photographer. Social media has been inundated with tributes praising the aspiring photographer's bravery. Many, written in Arabic, bless the teen whose work is described as 'inspiring'. Journalists from around the world have expressed shock and sadness at the news, with thousands retweeting Reuters' announcement of the youngster's death. The conflict raged on in the country's largest city today as Syrian aircraft shelled residential areas with explosives-filled barrels, killing dozens of people. The raid, which is widely condemned as unlawful, was particularly deadly in three opposition districts where at least 44 were killed including six children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Molhem Barakat joins the hundreds of thousands of civilians and fighters to have been slain as the conflict in Aleppo rages on Some of the young photographer's work has been published around the world in reports of the country's ongoing conflict Today the violence raged on in Aleppo, the country's largest city, after regime aircraft dropped TNT-filled barrels on residential areas The young photographer's portfolio is equally weighted with images depicting civilian life in the divided city A Free Syrian Army fighter rests near his weapons in Aleppo on December 2 A member of the Liwaa al-Sultan Mrad brigade operating under the Free Syrian Army holds his weapon as he looks into the sky in the city's Bustan al-Bashasha district Free Syrian Army fighters hold their fire as they stand next to a mannequin to attract the gaze of regime snipers in the Sheikh Maksoud district of the city Hundreds of people have been killed in the past week as regime aircraft dropped TNT-filled barrels on the country's one-time commercial hub. The Observatory claimed those in Hanano, Ahmadiyeh and Haydariyeh were worse affected with the death toll expected to rise further. Director, Rami Abdel Rahman, said President Bashar al-Assad's regime 'is trying to turn people in opposition areas against the rebels. It is killing and forcing people to flee in order to secure that goal. Among targets were two schools in rebel-held areas of the city. Aleppo's opposition Provincial Council said schools would be closed for a week as a result of the 'systematic, deliberate bombing' at hand. Elsewhere, a car bombing in the Shiite village of Omm al-Amd in the central province of Homs claimed the lives of eight people including six children, state media reported. A Free Syrian Army fighter lights a bomb for another before firing it in the direction of regime forces in Karm al-Jabal on December 7 Residents inspect damage in front of blood stains left by what activists claim was an airstrike with explosive barrels the Al-Shaar area of Aleppo The young photographer was one of thousands relied upon by the foreign press to gain a realistic picture of the situation in Syria His work on the frontline has been described as 'brave' and 'inspiring' by Facebook and Twitter users paying tribute to the teen At least 126,000 have been killed since 2011 when tensions between civilians and President Assad's government rose Residents search for survivors at a damaged site after the area was attacked with what locals describe as explosive-filled barrels in Takeek Al-Bab Aleppo, once the country's commercial hub, has been reduced to a city of rubble according to eye-witnesses A Free Syrian Army fighter runs for cover past piled sandbags to avoid regime snipers in Aleppo on November 29 Schools in rebel-held areas of the city have been closed after two were struck by Syrian aircraft this week The aftermath of an air raid in Al-Shaar on December 17 when Syrian regime aircraft allegedly dropped TNT-filled barrels on rebel-held parts of the city Children play in the street in the Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood of Aleppo on December 18 The Observatory, a Britain-based group which relies on activists and other witnesses inside Syria, reported a higher death toll of at least 12, including five children. An estimated 126,000 people have been killed in the conflict since 2011.