Activists said regime forces bombed the town of Saraqib in rural Idlib with chlorine-filled barrel bombs on Monday, causing over 30 cases of asphyxiation among civilians. The attacks were carried out in a blatant violation of UN Security Council resolutions 2118 and 2235 banning the use of chemical weapons and toxic substances.
In a press release issued earlier on Tuesday, the Syrian Coalition called upon the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities towards stopping such attacks. It stressed that urgent measures must be taken under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations to protect the Syrian people.
“Any further delay in taking firm stance towards such attacks will open the door to more crimes and violations by the Assad regime,” the Coalition said.
Separately, over 12 civilians were killed and dozens injured, including women and children, when Russian jets raided the village of Abu Alduhour in rural Idlib on Monday. Five civilians were also killed in similar attacks on the village of Tal Toughan in rural Idlib.
Activists said that the bombings were carried out by Russian forces in revenge for the death of five crewmen killed when their helicopter crashed near the town of Saraqib on Monday.
The Syrian Coalition emphasized the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities regarding the protection of civilians in accordance with International Law (IL) and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to stop war crimes and eliminate the constant threat of the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime. (Source: Syrian Coalition)