Syria dead autopsies show use of chemical weapons
AUTOPSIES conducted on three Syrians brought to Turkey after the assault in Idlib province that killed 86 people show they were subjected to a chemical weapons attack, according to Turkey’s Justice Minister.
The statement came as international outrage grew over the attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in northern Syria. In France, the country’s Foreign Minister called for President Bashar Assad’s government to be prosecuted over its alleged use of chemical weapons.
The Syrian government has denied it carried out any chemical attack on the town in Idlib.
Foreign Minister Walid Moallem reiterated that stance yesterday, telling reporters in Damascus that his government never used and will not use chemical weapons in Syria.
“The Syrian Arab Army has never used chemical weapons and will not use chemical weapons against Syrians and even against terrorists,” Mr Moallem told the news conference.
In Turkey, state-run Anadolu and the private DHA news agencies quoted Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag as saying that “it was determined after the autopsy that a chemical weapon was used”.
Turkish officials say that close to 60 victims of the attack were brought to Turkey for treatment and three of them died.
Tuesday’s attack happened just 60 miles from the Turkish border, and the Turkish government – a close ally of Syrian rebels – set up a decontamination centre at a border crossing in the province of Hatay, where the victims were initially treated before being moved to hospitals.
Russia’s defence ministry said the toxic agents were released when a Syrian air strike hit a rebel chemical weapons arsenal and munitions factory on the town’s eastern outskirts.
At the Damascus press conference, Mr Moallem also echoed that statement, saying the Syrian army bombed a warehouse belonging to al Qaida’s branch in Syria which contained chemical weapons.
The area of the town is difficult to access, and as more time passes in the aftermath of the attack it will be increasingly difficult to determine exactly what happened.
Turkish media have reported that World Health Organisation experts took part in the autopsies of Syrian victims conducted in the Turkish city of Adana on Wednesday.
In France, Foreign Minister JeanMarc Ayrault called for a resumption of Syrian peace talks and said he wants Assad’s government prosecuted over its alleged use of chemical weapons.