Syrian government drops chlorine gas barrel bomb on rebel-held part of Aleppo

BEIRUT – Syrian activists, rescue workers and a monitoring group said that government warplanes dropped suspected chlorine bombs on Tuesday on a crowded neighborhood in the Syrian city of Aleppo caused at least one death and dozens of cases of suffocation.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The bombs left more than 70 people choking and in need of treatment were dropped from helicopters on the Sukkari neighbourhood.

At least 71 people, including 37 children and 10 women, were treated for breathing difficulties, dry cough, and that their clothes smelled of chlorine. The report said 10 of the patients were in critical care, including a pregnant woman.

The involvement of chlorine and other poisonous gases are common in Syria’s civil war, and both sides have denied using them while blaming the other for using it as a weapon of war. Two suspected chlorine attacks has taken place last month in Aleppo also.

Ibrahem Alhaj, a member of the Syria Civil Defense said. “Most of those injured where women and children,” he said.“It is a crowded neighborhood.”

The Observatory’s chief, Rami Abdurrahman, said he could not ascertain if it was chlorine gas attack.

The symptoms of the victims are the same as they have experienced in the past and this led them to believe that this is a chlorine gas attack.