Damascus, SANA – The chemical attack launched by the former regime on Ghouta on the night of August 21, 2013, was not just a genocide crime, but rather a pivotal moment that documented the extent of the violations with the blood of the victims, and confirmed the regime’s direct responsibility according to UN and international reports.
On that fateful night, the sky over Ghouta was tinged with fear and poison. The rockets and projectiles did not carry ordinary explosives, but sarin gas, the most lethal chemical weapon known. The nightmare descended on densely populated civilian neighborhoods such as Ain Tarma, Zamalka, Jobar, and Moadamiyeh al-Sham in Eastern and Western Ghouta, where thousands of innocent people were trapped.
The silent death
Forces of the former regime launched that night more than 10 missiles carrying Sarin gas, coinciding with the hot summer weather which made the poisonous gas get down to the ground surface and suffocate those who were there where inhabitants took shelter in basements to avoid bombings, unaware that those shelters would be the silent death traps, where the heavy gas leaked and suffocated families, killing them while they were asleep.
A genocide scene documented in numbers.
This genocide has been documented in numbers, with the number of victims ranging between 1,300 and 1,729 dead, including at least 426 children, according to an investigation published by the French newspaper Le Figaro in April 2017 and reported by the Humanium organization concerned with caring for children and stopping violations of their rights around the world.
Evidence that leaves no room for doubt
International investigations not only confirmed the use of sarin gas, but also directly pointed to the responsibility of the former regime. The White House report revealed intercepted audio recordings proving direct coordination of the attack between senior military commanders and chemical units.
Swedish Ake Sellström, head of the UN mission to investigate chemical weapons in Syria, confirmed in his September 2013 report that sarin gas was used on a large scale and that the type of rockets and their range indicated they were launched from areas controlled by the regime.
Tuhama / Fedaa
