Voices of Survival

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“I cannot nor do I know how to describe that scene; all the bodies were swollen, and the signs of suffocation were clear, as if it were a ghost town. How could such a large number of people die in one day?”

Chemical weapons have been banned internationally as a tool of war since the entry into force of the  1925 Geneva Protocol . This ban was further enforced in 1997 through the international  Chemical Weapons Convention . This is partly due to the nature of chemical weapons, which indiscriminately impact anyone in the target area, and as a result kill innocent bystanders. However, despite this, actors inside Syria – namely the Syrian government and ISIS – have used chemical weapons over 300 times, resulting in the death and injury of thousands of Syrian civilians. Chemical weapons have a devastating impact, particularly when used on civilians—causing extreme suffering and death, as well as a variety of symptoms that can persist throughout a person’s lifetime. In order to fully understand the physical and  psychological impacts  of chemical warfare, one must hear from the victims of these devastating attacks.

In analyzing twelve interviews conducted with survivors and witnesses, SJAC uncovered new evidence confirming the occurrence of seven chemical attacks, six of which were perpetrated by the Syrian government, and one of which was perpetrated by ISIS. This evidence not only confirmed the attacks but also highlighted the devastating physical and emotional toll of chemical weapons.

Confronted with evidence, presented both in this investigation and by other organizations such as the  Human Rights Watch  and the  Syrian American Medical Society , that the Syrian government has perpetrated hundreds of chemical attacks upon its citizens using sarin gas and chlorine munitions, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad  claimed  that he never ordered a chemical weapons attack. He said, “We gave up our [chemical weapons] arsenal” in 2014 and that “we have never used our chemical arsenal in our history.” Furthermore, he claimed that “morally,” the Syrian government would never use chemical weapons “because it’s not acceptable.” This is part of the Syrian government’s greater strategy of using disinformation to obscure its usage of internationally prohibited weapons, including  barrel bombs , on civilians and avoiding the consequences.

It is important to note that when using chemical weapons, the Syrian military has specifically aimed at striking population centers rather than military targets as part of their larger strategy of collective punishment of populations in opposition-held areas. This is a clear example of indiscriminate violence, and a war crime under the  Geneva Convention s.

ISIS has also perpetrated chemical attacks in Syria against civilians, particularly with the use of sulfur mustard gas. One 2019  study  found that out of at least 336 attacks in Syria, 2% were perpetrated by ISIS.

The attacks documented in this investigation involve sarin gas and chlorine munitions, both used by the Syrian government, and sulfur mustard gas used by ISIS.

Witness testimony documented by SJAC confirms that both the Syrian government and ISIS have utilized chemical warfare and provides new information on the impact of these attacks on the civilians who survived them. In using chemical weapons, both parties acted in direct violation of international law, and the Syrian government’s purposeful targeting of civilians is a war crime. Furthermore, SJAC’s witness testimony sheds light on the impact of these weapons—which the Syrian government and ISIS used as a tool, in many cases, to frighten civilians into submission. The witnesses SJAC interviewed reported fearing for their lives, as well as the lives of their loved ones, and being forced to witness both adults and children die suddenly and without explanation. This is a horrendous abuse of power and violation of human rights on the part of both the Syrian government and ISIS.

The SJAC documentation team, which collects and documents violations of human rights in Syria, discovered evidence supporting seven total discrete events of chemical warfare, six of which the Syrian government perpetrated and one of which ISIS perpetrated.

SJAC’s findings are based on twelve interviews with witnesses of alleged chemical attacks, seven of which provided first-hand testimonies from survivors of chemical attacks. Several interviewees were survivors of the chemical attacks, while others were doctors and health workers who provided medical assistance to survivors. SJAC also interviewed people from the targeted locations who provided corroborating information necessary to verify the time and locations of the attacks.

Analysis of 62 open-source videos, 54 of which depict victims experiencing symptoms of the chemical attacks, serve as further corroboration of the witness testimonies obtained by SJAC.

Ghouta is in the Rif Dimashq governorate and is comprised of densely populated suburbs to the east and south of Damascus. In the beginning of the Syrian conflict, most people in Ghouta sided with the opposition and opposed Syrian governmental control. From 2012, the opposition controlled much of Eastern Ghouta, partly cutting off Damascus from the countryside. The Syrian government however laid siege to Madamiyet Elsham, in Western Ghouta, starting in April 2013.

Prior to August 2013, government forces launched repeated missile assaults in an attempt to dislodge the rebels in Ghouta for more than a year. The week of the attack, the Syrian government also launched an offensive to capture the opposition-held Damascus suburbs.

Then on August 21, 2013, the Syrian government launched an attack that targeted several areas in Eastern Ghouta as well as Madamiyet Elsham in Western Ghouta, resulting in the estimated killing of 1,400 individuals.

Several reports, including some authored by the  U.S. government , confirmed that chemical weapons were used by the Syrian government during this attack, including sarin gas.  Sarin  gas is a human-made chemical warfare nerve agent, considered to be one of the most toxic and rapidly acting of the known nerve agents, as it causes continuous and involuntary muscle contractions, which can lead to suffocation, and can cause death within minutes. It is clear, colorless, and tasteless, with no perceivable odor, and it can rapidly spread as a gas into the environment.

 Symptoms  of sarin exposure include but are not limited to: chest tightness, confusion, cough, drooling, difficulty breathing, eye pain and/or tearing, increased urination, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, rapid breathing, small and pinpoint pupils, tremors, and weakness. Large doses of sarin, to which many in Ghouta were exposed, causes loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest potentially leading to coma, convulsions, paralysis, respiratory failure, seizures, and death.

SJAC’s documentation team conducted interviews with three witnesses and survivors to shed more light on the incident.

On August 21, 2013, the Syrian government attacked Eastern Ghouta with sarin gas. An interviewee described the immediate aftermath of the bombing. Mosques sent out distress signals, asking anyone with a car to help transport bodies or provide medical assistance. The interviewee himself entered buildings, along with a group of young men, to search for those in need of help. Residential buildings in Ghouta typically consist of six floors, with each floor having four apartments. He said that he and the group would go into as many buildings as possible and enter all the apartments in the building. But when they opened the doors, they “found that everyone inside had suffocated to death. It was a very painful sight, and all of them were families, including young children, elderly men, and women. We did not know the extent of their suffering before death.”

He said that in total, he could not determine the exact number of bodies he saw that day, but that it was “over a thousand […] including men, women, and children.” He described the pain of seeing mothers and fathers frantically searching for their missing families and asking everyone if they had found those they were searching for.

The interviewee struggled to describe the scene in its entirety. “I cannot nor do I know how to describe that scene; all the bodies were swollen, and the signs of suffocation were clear, as if it were a ghost town. How could such a large number of people die in one day?”

The interviewee further described his experience of the attack. He noted that victims in the streets and in their homes exhibited distressing symptoms, including bluish discoloration and bloating. He stated: “Bodies were strewn across the roads to the right and left, all of them with a blueish tint.” This blueish tint as described by the witness is a sign of suffocation, consistent with the respiratory failure caused by sarin gas.

The witness recalled his friend, who perished in an attempt to save those who were suffering: “With us was a friend […] to assist us in transporting the bodies and rescuing those who were still alive. He was martyred due to the complications of inhaling gases during the rescue operations. He helped transport two batches of martyrs, and in the third batch his face started turning blue gradually. Then he began to suffocate. We tried to help him but to no avail.”

SJAC also interviewed a doctor who treated some of the people who arrived from Eastern Ghouta after having suffered from the sarin attack. He said that “when the chemical attack occurred, we had to assist in rescuing as many people as possible.” The doctor recalled that the survivors suffered from pronounced respiratory symptoms, convulsion, increased salivation, dilated pupils, and acute shortness of breath. These symptoms are all consistent with sarin exposure.

SJAC’s team of analysts also identified a series of open-source videos that corroborated witness testimony of the sarin gas attack in Eastern Ghouta. SJAC used geolocation to confirm that two medical points in Douma received the injured in this attack, supported by the testimony of a local resident. Additionally, two of the videos used for geolocation show infected people showing symptoms of a chemical attack.

 In addition, SJAC’s data analysts also found several other open-source videos of the attack and its aftermath that could not be geolocated due to the fact that most videos were taken either inside buildings or at night. While SJAC could not verify their location, these videos did provide evidence of people suffering from the symptoms of a sarin gas attack and were alleged to have been filmed in Eastern Ghouta during the attack. Symptoms appearing in these videos included: coughing (1), drooling (14), difficulty breathing (4), eye tearing/watering (1), rapid breathing (9), pinpoint pupils (1), weakness (3), convulsions (5), paralysis (1), and twitching (3).

Below are links to the YouTube videos still available. Some of the other videos are no longer available online but have been preserved through SJAC’s data management system,  Bayanat .

On August 21, 2013, the same day that the Syrian government used sarin gas to attack Eastern Ghouta, they also attacked Madamiyet Elsham in Western Ghouta.

SJAC’s documentation team conducted an interview with a survivor to shed more light on the incident. The survivor reported that around 5 a.m. on August 21, he was awake in Al-Rawda neighborhood, having been there at a gathering with some friends. Despite the late hour, he was still awake, having been unable to sleep “due to hunger.” He reported that “hunger was beginning to weaken our bodies; there was nothing left to feed us.”

He described that as he was tossing and turning, he heard the firing of two of the six rockets: “I started hearing strange sounds and could hear echoes of the sound, but we didn’t hear an explosion afterward. I waited for seconds, still not hearing the sound of an explosion, but the sound was more like a horrible crow’s cry, or that’s how I imagined it.” He heard the voice of someone in the neighborhood, shouting, asking people to save others. He tried to shout back that there was no explosion, and when he went outside, he said there was “no trace of blood or anything indicating what had happened.” The rocket was not  exploding —rather, it was releasing toxic sarin gas.

The witness attributed the attacks to six rockets launched by the Fourth Division located on the mountain opposite Madamiyet Elsham. According to the witness, two rockets fell on Al-Rawda Street, two in Zaytouna neighborhood, and two in the neighborhood next to it. 

The witness described those he saw fall victim to the effects of sarin gas: “I saw people foaming at the mouth, their eyes bulging outward, barely able to breathe.” He added: “We saw a young man lying on the ground, showing no signs of blood but appearing paralyzed.” These signs of foaming at the mouth and paralysis are signs of exposure to sarin gas.

I saw in the prayer hall the main baker of Al-Madamiyeh trying to reach the first step [of the stairs], foam coming out of his mouth, his eyes completely bulging. I tried to lift him and, in that moment, […] hallucinations started in my head. I lost my vision and felt like my legs couldn’t support me anymore. I went out the door, stood there, and everything in my sight turned completely white, without any landmarks, and then I lost consciousness.

The  hallucinations  that the witness suffered are consistent, and common, with sarin gas. In addition, sarin gas causes overstimulation, leading to secretion in the mouth and tear ducts. Secretion in the mouth leads to  foaming at the mouth , described by the witness above as well as documented in extensive open-source videos and photos. Secretion in the tear ducts causes tearing and results in convulsions and twitching, also documented in open-source videos, as well as witness testimony.

SJAC analysts determined through the geolocation of two open-source videos (see  here  and  here ) that some individuals exposed to chemical agents were taken to medical points in Darayya (another city in Western Ghouta) and Madamiyet Elsham. In one of the above  videos , it is stated that the attack occurred between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m., corroborating SJAC witness testimony.

SJAC identified several videos that were said to have been filmed in Western Ghouta and showed people suffering from the symptoms of a sarin gas attack. Although the videos could not be geolocated, they showed victims exhibiting symptoms consistent with nerve agent exposure including: foaming at the mouth (2), difficulty breathing (1), eye tearing/watering (1), rapid breathing (2), pinpoint pupils (1), and weakness (2).

Below are links to the YouTube videos still available online (viewer discretion advised). Other videos are no longer available online and have been preserved in SJAC’s database, Bayanat.

On April 4, 2017, the Syrian government  launched  a chemical attack (likely sarin gas) on Khan Shaykhun in Idlib, which resulted in the deaths of at least 90 people and injured many others. SJAC’s documentation team conducted two interviews with a survivor and an insider witness (i.e. a witness with direct insider knowledge of the attack) to shed more light on the incident.

The survivor described his experience: “Fate had it that my wife was pregnant, and during her fourth month of pregnancy in April 2017. Khan Shaykhun was bombed by aircraft with missiles loaded with chemical weapons. My family and I were about a kilometer away from the strike.” The interviewee said:

The signs of chemical exposure began to appear immediately, with our eyes tearing up and our noses running strangely. We also felt a general heaviness. […] Especially my pregnant wife felt an unusual fatigue, not typical symptoms of pregnancy like nausea or severe abdominal pain, but just fatigue and a strong runny nose with severe redness in the eyes. That day, many people died due to the chemical shelling, including two of my relatives.

The  OPCW  (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) determined the attack to be sarin gas. According to  Human Rights Watch , photos and videos of weapon remnants are consistent with the characteristics of a Soviet-made air-dropped chemical bomb specifically designed to deliver sarin gas.

However, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad  claimed  that the Khan Shaykhun incident never occurred, and, instead, that the U.S. faked the attack in order to bomb a Syrian airbase. “They fabricated the whole story in order to have a pretext for an attack,” he said. All available evidence, including documentation by the OPCW, Human Rights Watch, and SJAC’s own interviews with witnesses, directly contradict this version of events.

An insider witness with direct knowledge of the attack told SJAC that a Su-22 plane dropped chemical weapons on Khan Shaykhun. The witness identified the pilot who carried out the airstrike and stated that the plane took off from Shayrat Airport. He also noted that chemical bombs existed, were stored at the airport, and could be launched by artillery, missiles, or aircraft, as they were loaded under the wing of the plane and exploded when they hit the ground, spreading the chemical materials.

The survivor that SJAC interviewed further testified that both he and other victims of the attack displayed symptoms, including: respiratory symptoms, runny nose, red and tearing eyes, lethargy and impaired movement, all of which are indicative of sarin gas poisoning.

The same survivor of the attack, who was 1 kilometer away from the targeted spot, also reported smelling chlorine. The possibility that the chemical attack included both chlorine and sarin gas could not be verified by SJAC, nor could SJAC find corroborating evidence that chlorine gas was used. However, SJAC does not rule out the possibility that both sarin and chlorine gas were used by the Syrian government in this attack.

SJAC investigators were able to verify that people exhibiting symptoms consistent with a chemical attack were taken to an acting medical clinic in Khan Shaykhun, originally a civil defense center operated by the White Helmets. In the five videos used for geolocation (see  here ,  here ,  here ,  here , and  here ), SJAC investigators noted that individuals in the video displayed symptoms of sarin gas poisoning. In one of the videos, the reporter claims that after the chemical attack, several people were taken to the medical clinic that was geolocated by SJAC. According to the reporter, the Syrian government then shelled the medical location where victims of the chemical attack were taken. The video shows extreme damage to the medical building.

Several open-source videos said to have been filmed at Khan Shykhun showed people suffering from the symptoms of a sarin gas attack. Although these videos could not be geolocated, the symptoms exhibited by the victims were consistent with sarin gas exposure and included: foaming at the mouth (5), difficulty breathing (3), eye tearing (1), rapid breathing (2), small pinpoint pupils (1), and weakness (3).

Below are links to the YouTube videos still available online (viewer discretion advised). Some of the videos are no longer available online but have been preserved through Bayanat.

In February 2018, the Syrian armed forces escalated its offensive on Eastern Ghouta. This offensive included two additional chlorine gas attacks on Ghouta that SJAC was able to verify – one in Hammouriya in March and another in Douma in April – both of which occurred five years after the Syrian government’s initial attack on Ghouta. The  OPCW  confirmed that the attacks were chlorine gas attacks perpetrated by the Syrian government, which dropped two yellow cylinders containing toxic chlorine gas on two apartment buildings in civilian-inhabited areas.

When chlorine gas comes into contact with the eyes, throat, and lungs, an acid is  produced  that can cause tissue damage. Chlorine gas stays close to the ground, spreads rapidly, and is a yellow-green color.

Attacks involving chlorine gas make up approximately 90% of the documented chemical attacks in Syria. This is for several reasons: it is significantly less lethal than sarin, which means that it is less likely to cause international outcry. In addition, not only is chlorine a “dual use” chemical, meaning it has legitimate civilian applications (such as water purification) and is a non-controlled substance, but it is also cheap, making it easier to obtain in large quantities. It is also not necessary to have specialized knowledge or equipment in order to store, handle, and weaponize chlorine. This is what made it possible for the Syrian government to continue using chemical weapons on civilians, even when it surrendered most of its chemical weapons to the international community after the August 2013 sarin gas attack on Ghouta. Civilians are usually exposed to chlorine through chlorine munitions, typically deployed in barrel bombs, of which SJAC has documented  350 verified attacks  perpetrated by the Syrian government. These improvised chlorine munitions are dropped from helicopters, though some are also launched from  rocket launchers .

 Symptoms  of chlorine exposure include: a burning sensation in the nose, throat, lungs, and eyes, coughing up white fluid; difficulty breathing and shortness of breath; eye tearing/watering; nausea; respiratory failure; vomiting; and wheezing.

In March 2018, the Syrian government weaponized chlorine gas against the inhabitants of Hammouriya, A witness described how “at the beginning of the third month of 2018, the mosque near our residence, which is close to the center of Hammouriya, was targeted by bombing with chlorine gas.” The attack specifically targeted Beit Sawa road at a residential area known as Nazlat Al-Madrasa, a hideout where families sought refuge. A witness reported that “people started gathering in the middle of the town, and the regime bombed chlorine gas on one of the basements in [the road that goes downhill to the school], which housed a large number of civilians.”

He said that this was a purposeful strategy: “The bombing targeted that basement, forcing civilians to leave through the closed tunnel, exposing them all to shelling with artillery.” Furthermore, by forcing civilians to flee through the tunnel, they would be further exposed to the dangerous effects of chlorine, as chlorine gas sinks and the tunnel was underground. He further said, “the regime’s brutal policy was to force people out of the tunnels using chlorine gas to gather them in one place, presumably for arrest. Civilians who arrived from those basements showed signs of suffocation, as well as the spread of the smell of chlorine gas, which was stuck to their clothes.” These symptoms are consistent with exposure to chlorine. Civilians were faced with an impossible choice: death by kinetic weapons above ground or suffocation by chemical weapons underground.

The witness reflected on the devastation of the chemical attack, which was followed by the government takeover of Eastern Ghouta and the expulsion of all opposition groups. He explained, “What’s truly heartbreaking is that this journey, with hopes for a better future, ends with a new occupation of Eastern Ghouta by the regime. It’s a new journey of struggle that led to instability and displacement to temporary shelters for the displaced, resembling detention centers under the regime.”

Several open-source videos said to have been filmed at Hammouriya showed people suffering from the symptoms of a chlorine gas attack. Although these videos could not be geolocated, the symptoms exhibited by the victims were consistent with chlorine gas exposure and included: difficulty breathing/shortness of breath (5), and wheezing (3).

Below are links to the YouTube videos still available online (viewer discretion advised). Some of the videos are no longer available online but have been preserved through Bayanat.

In April 2018, the Syrian government  weaponized  chlorine gas against residents in the city of Douma, located in Eastern Ghouta.

One survivor recalled, “I witnessed a rocket falling on April 6 ^th , 2018, at 2:35 p.m., just before the afternoon prayer. It was a Friday. I remember this date exactly.” The interviewee described how he was performing ablution before participating in prayers when he looked up at the sky and saw “numerous explosive barrels falling from the planes.” He recalled feeling relieved that the rocket didn’t explode. However, he soon saw smoke rising from the barrels, and ran to shelter, screaming, “Chemical!”

According to witnesses interviewed by SJAC, one rocket targeted a residential area, striking a hideout where families had sought refuge a mere 500 meters from a hospital.

SJAC interviewed two eyewitnesses to the attack, including one health worker who was working at a nearby hospital at the time of the attack. They stated that victims exposed to the attack presented symptoms matching that of exposure to chlorine gas. The health worker also said they observed the following symptoms: “foaming at the mouth, cough with white sputum, suffocation, difficulty breathing, lethargy and impaired movement.”

He further stated, “The most visible signs were on the children […] and most of them had already arrived dead.”

It is  reported  that children often suffered the most from chemical weapons attacks and died in the largest numbers. This is due to a number of  reasons : children are smaller, so a smaller dose of a chemical agent is needed to damage their organs. Children also have fewer defenses—they cannot run away as quickly from a chemical attack, and their immune systems are weaker.

Another witness also described experiencing the effects of chlorine gas: “When I touched my beard, there was a white substance starting to come out of my mouth and trickle onto my beard. I began to lose balance, and my children started coughing severely, with white pieces coming out of their mouths during coughing fits.” These symptoms, in particular coughing up white liquid, are further indications of exposure to chlorine gas.

The witness added, “My joints and nerves started to deteriorate, and I began to feel heavy and sluggish in movement.” The witness noticed similar issues with his wife as he stated, “My wife was exhausted to the point where she had no strength to lift her body, and a large number of those with us in the shelter were martyred [died] at that moment.”

The witness said that he “realized death was near” but didn’t give up. He explained, “I started covering my children and wife with blankets and sprayed water over them to isolate the chemical substances. […] I understood death was imminent.”

The chlorine gas exposure also caused more persistent long-term effects for those that survived. The same witness said:

We all suffered from symptoms such as irritation in the eyes, respiratory issues in the chest and nose as well as nerve damage, joint paint, muscle weakness, and overall fatigue. Upon examination, the doctors informed my brothers that the children […] were suffering from respiratory diseases that required treatment. When my brother consulted the neurologist, he attributed the bladder relaxation and involuntary urination to nerve damage. Currently, they are receiving treatment, but without improvement.

Ultimately, he and his family were forced out of Eastern Ghouta to northern Syria. He explained it as “embarking on an unknown journey, all in very bad condition from the effects of the chemical exposure.”

Open-source videos geolocated by SJAC’s analysts (see  here ,  here , and  here ) further support the case that a chemical attack took place in Douma and correspond with the same date. SJAC data analysts identified the location of the attack through geolocating landmarks and structures visible in several videos.

In addition, SJAC’s investigators also found several other open-source videos that could not be geolocated. However, these videos provided evidence of people suffering from the symptoms of a chlorine gas attack. Symptoms appearing in these videos alleged to have been filmed in Douma during the attack included: coughing up white fluid (16), difficulty breathing/shortness of breath (1), and eye tearing/watering (1).

Below are links to the YouTube videos still available online (viewer discretion advised). Some of the videos are no longer available online but have been preserved through Bayanat.

On May 2, 2015, barrel bombs filled with chlorine gas hit Saraqib. Saraqib is a city in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Idlib Governorate and located east of Idlib city. Opposition forces gained control of Saraqib in 2012, though the Syrian army eventually recaptured it in 2020.

The chlorine gas released in Saraqib dispersed over a large area, affecting an  estimated  75 individuals.  Reports  confirmed that chemical weapons were used and claimed that the Syrian government had carried out the attack.

SJAC’s documentation team conducted interviews with two witnesses. The witnesses attributed the attacks to chlorine gas launched by the Syrian military from helicopters, injuring civilians including women and children (in what they described as a barrel-bomb attack).

One survivor recalled the event: “On Saturday, […] a helicopter came about an hour before dawn, around 3 a.m., and dropped a barrel close to us, less than 100 meters away. We did not hear the expected explosion of conventional barrel bombs, so we went out of the house and smelled a chlorine-like odor, but it was highly concentrated (suffocating).” He ran to his two children, aged two and a half and four, woke them up, and climbed onto the roof of the house. He put wet clothes over their noses in an attempt to prevent the chlorine from entering their lungs. He added, “It’s worth noting that there are no armed groups’ headquarters nearby in our neighborhood at all,” which is to say that there was no security threat that the government could rely on in an attempt to justify their actions.

One witness stated that four days after he and his wife were exposed to the chemical, his wife gave birth, and the child had a right lung atrophy and died. The witness believes that the reason for the right lung atrophy and subsequent death of his infant was the exposure to chlorine gas, as they have no family history of the disease.

SJAC was able to uncover four videos showing the apparent victims of a chemical attack in Saraqib. It was not possible to geolocate these videos, as videos were taken inside and/or filmed at night. However, victims appearing in these videos exhibited symptoms including difficulty breathing/shortness of breath (1) and vomiting (1). One of the  videos  also corroborates the witnesses’ assertion that the attack happened around 3 a.m. to 4 a.m., and another  video  shows that it is still dark outside.

Below are links to the YouTube videos still available online (viewer discretion advised). Some of the videos are no longer available online but have been preserved through Bayanat.

ISIS attacked Marea, a town in Northern Aleppo under opposition control at the time of the attack, using artillery shells loaded with chemical weapons on August 21, 2015 and again on September 1, 2015. The chemical used in the attack was sulfur mustard, which can appear both yellow and black (see quote below). SJAC’s documentation team conducted interviews with two witnesses to shed more light on the incident. The witnesses attributed the attack to ISIS and reported that the injured included both Free Syrian Army members and civilians.

One witness reported, “Around the eighth month of 2015, at approximately midday, we started to witness shelling on residential areas in several parts of Maraat Al-Numan.” Another witness summarized his experience of the event:

The city was shelled that day with about 90 to 100 shells, including locally manufactured shells and regular rockets, mostly of Russian origin. The locally manufactured shells contained chemical substances, two types: sulfur mustard gas, which is yellow in color and causes burns in addition to suffocation [and a] black material […] that smelled like sulfur [but] they were unable to determine the type […] On that day, the number of injured was between 40 and 45, with only six civilians among them, the rest were military personnel.

The first witness stated, “When I saw the shell, there was a brownish liquid around it, resembling oil or thick diesel. Also, the smell was strange; it was the first time I smelled such a scent, similar to garlic. The smell lingered for more than three days and gradually began to fade away.” As mentioned earlier, this color and odor is consistent with sulfur mustard gas.

Those exposed to the attack experienced symptoms including bruise-like burns and difficulty breathing, as reported by a doctor who treated the injuries. One of the sarinterviewees, who holds a degree in general medicine, was working as a doctor at the time. He said, “I remember ten cases in particular which exhibited unusual symptoms, including two severe cases that required transfer to Turkey due to the complexity of treatment. The interviewee expressed his belief that the aim of this attack was so that ISIS could gain control of the area and eradicate the people there as, “It has been a thorn in the side of those seeking to control it.”

 Sulfur mustard  is a human-made chemical warfare agent that causes blistering of the skin and mucous membranes on contact. It often appears yellow or brown, and typically smells like garlic, mustard, or onions. Symptoms of exposure to sulfur mustard include abdominal pain, blistering of the skin, bloody nose, cough, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, vomiting, wheezing, and convulsions. In some instances, sulfur mustard can cause blindness and respiratory failure, leading to death.

The  OPCW  confirmed in a report that ISIS perpetrated this attack, deploying sulfur mustard and a black, viscous substance with a pungent and garlic-like smell.

There was no visual material available online that could be confirmed to be associated with the attack. There were two open-source videos  found showing weapon remnants (see  here  and  here ), but these were unable to be confirmed as chemical weapons remnants.

SJAC’s investigation highlights the physical and psychological impacts of chemical warfare based upon the detailed statements of a dozen victims and corroborating open-source evidence. Despite Bashar Al-Assad’s claims to the contrary, the Syrian government has regularly employed chemical warfare against civilians, including the use of sarin and chlorine gas. SJAC has also confirmed that ISIS utilized chemical agents, namely sulfur mustard gas, in at least one attack. The international community has largely failed to appropriately respond to the attacks, and this lack of response could encourage neighboring countries to adopt the use of chemical weapons.

To further accountability efforts, the Syrian government should fully cooperate with the OPCW in its investigations into it use of chemical warfare. Such cooperation  includes  submitting timely and complete declarations related to chemical weapons and chemical weapons facilities on its territory, as well as fully cooperating with the OPCW in the exercise of its functions.

In particular, the Syrian government should be held accountable for its use of chemical warfare against civilians as a form of collective punishment for those living in opposition-held areas-- a blatant war crime. In line with their obligation to respect and ensure respect for international law, all states should hold perpetrators of serious violations of the Law of Armed Conflict accountable by conducting or supporting full investigations into alleged violations.

States should pursue universal jurisdiction cases against those who have fled to member states and can be held accountable for the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons. They should also prosecute and  sanction  companies who knowingly supply the Syrian government with chemical weapons precursors. Moreover, accountability mechanisms, including the IIIM, IIMP, and OPCW should identify evidence relevant to chemical weapons attacks and share it with investigators in other countries.