UN says it is ‘likely’ Assad forces used chlorine gas on civilians

The Syrian government has likely used chlorine gas to attack civilians while the Islamic State group has committed crimes against humanity with attacks on civilians in two provinces, an independent UN commission said yesterday.

The report from the commission, which has been tasked to investigate potential war crimes in the country, marks the first time the UN has assigned blame for the use of the chemical agent. Specifically, the commission said “reasonable grounds exist to believe” that government forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad unleashed a chemical agent, likely chlorine, on civilians in northern Syrian villages eight times in April.

According to the report, victims and medical personnel described symptoms caused by exposure to chemicals and witnesses told of a chlorine-like smell immediately after seeing government helicopters drop barrel bombs on the civilian-inhabited areas in Idlib and Hama provinces eight times between April 11-29.