On Monday, April 4th, the sixth anniversary of the 2017 chemical attack committed by regime forces in the city of Khan Sheikhoun in the southern countryside of Idleb was marked. The attack involved the use of toxic sarin gas, resulting in the death of over 90 civilians and injuries to more than 500 individuals, mostly children, as reported by the White Helmets.
The White Helmets have reported that the morning in the city of Khan Sheikhoun was not ordinary, as the air was filled with toxic gas, the sounds of death echoed, and souls raced to the gates of heaven. Six years have passed since the Assad regime committed a massacre using chemical weapons in the city.
The massacre left more than 90 people suffocated by sarin gas and more than 500 others exposed to symptoms of poison gas.
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Almost six months after the massacre, the Joint Investigative Mechanism released an international report confirming the responsibility of the Syrian regime for the release of sarin gas in Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, 2017.
The Khan Sheikhoun massacre is regarded as one of the most severe bombing campaigns conducted by the regime in opposition-controlled areas. The regime also used poison gas to target Eastern Ghouta in August 2013 and Douma in April 2018. However, the use of veto power has hindered the work of the International Commission of Inquiry..
In response to the chemical attack, on April 7, 2017, the United States launched 59 Tomahawk guided missiles at the Shayrat military airport, located east of the central city of Homs, from where the plane carrying sarin missiles had been launched.
On this anniversary, the White Helmets commented on the massacre, stating that while the world may have forgotten the gasps of children as they suffocated, the Syrian people have not and will not forget this crime. They urge for the criminal to be held accountable and for justice to be served.
Coalition: The absence of deterrence and punishment encouraged the regime to continue committing massacres
On this occasion, the National Coalition issued a statement, noting that the massacres committed against the Syrian people persist due to the lack of deterrence and punishment, as well as the international community’s impotence and suspicious silence.
The National Coalition warned that remembering these massacres coincides with the continuation of the Assad regime’s criminal approach towards the Syrian people. Normalizing relations with this regime would be a provocation to millions of Syrians who are still making sacrifices to overcome the atrocities committed by the regime.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
