Assad forces have used chemical weapons in at least 27 times during Syria’s civil war, including in April’s deadly attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun killing around 100 people, including women and children, UN war crimes investigators said.
In a press conference held following the presenting of its report about violations of human rights in Syria in Geneva on Wednesday, the UN Commission of Inquiry said that an Assad regime warplane dropped sarin on the town in Idlib province, killing more than 80 civilians. The findings have been the most conclusive to date from investigations into that chemical weapon attack.
UN war crimes investigators ruled out claims by Assad and Russian officials following the sarin attack that military strikes had hit a weapons depot belonging to rebel forces that contained sarin gas.
Out of 33 chemical attacks, 27 were carried out by the Assad regime, including seven between March 1 to July 7, the Commission said. Perpetrators had not been identified yet in six attacks, it added.
The attack on Khan Sheikhoun promoted the United States to launch cruise missile strikes on the Shayrat airbase in Homs province from where the warplanes that carried out the sarin attack took off. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
