MESOP : THE GASS-MAN & THE DARLING OF WESTERN PEACENICKS – Pro-Assad forces renew chlorine attacks on Idlib, casualties reported

May 4, 2015 – ARA News – Damascus, Syria – The Syrian regime’s helicopters launched several raids on the cities and towns of the Idlib countryside, using barrel bombs containing toxic gases, which caused the death of at least one civilian and wounded dozens others, primarily children.Local activists in the Idlib countryside told ARA News that Syrian regime’s helicopters dropped several barrel bombs containing toxic chlorine gas on the town of Neirab, leading to the death of Mutee Jalal, 2, in addition to injuring dozens of others. Speaking to ARA News, activist Mahmoud al-Hamwi said that other raids by the Syrian helicopters using barrel bombs ــloaded with chlorine gasــ targeted the town of Saraqib in Idlib’s suburbs.

The source stressed that more than 70 people were injured, suffering suffocation due to the use of chlorine gas by the Syrian air force during the raids.“Children had the lion’s share of injuries during the attack,” medical sources in field hospitals of Idlib were quoted as saying. The Syrian regime has been waging an intense campaign of aerial bombardments on the city of Idlib and its countryside for weeks after the armed opposition took control of most areas of the province, leaving the regime control over the main highway between Aleppo in the north, Latakia in the west, and the city of al-Mastooma. International and Syrian human rights organizations confirmed in April that the Syrian regime was responsible for bombing the city of Sermin in Idlib’s countryside with poisonous chlorine gas. The attacks led to the death of an entire family of six, including three children under the age of ten.

Reporting by: Mohammed Darwish Source: ARA News