gas attack aleppo november 2018
© Syrian Arab News Agency via ReutersUnverified picture of a victim of suspected toxic gas attack by al-Nusra in Aleppo
The militant shelling of Aleppo was the result of some countries' attempts to "facilitate" delivery of chemicals to terrorist groups, Damascus said. Syria now calls for the UN to act against states supporting terrorism.

At least 46 people, including 8 children have been hospitalized in Aleppo with symptoms of gas poisoning from chlorine, according to the Russian military who sent special units to assist with treating patients after the attack. Syrian media say over 100 people were injured. The shelling that targeted residential areas of Aleppo on Saturday night is believed to have been launched from within the Idlib de-escalation zone, from an area controlled by the former Al-Nusra front.

Damascus said the attack aimed to further frame the Syrian government, according to Sana news agency. The Syrian Foreign Ministry called on the UN Security Council to immediately condemn the "terrorist crimes," and take "deterrent and punitive measures against the states and regimes backing terrorism."

The statement stopped short to name any particular "sponsors," but said the attack occurred as the result of "facilitation" provided by "some countries" to deliver chemicals to armed militants.

The attack was an attempt to damage the Syrian normalization process, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. She added that the shelling of Aleppo must be condemned by the international community, which has been silent of the incident so far.

Analyst Ali Rizk, who specializes in Middle East affairs, told RT that the shelling is "further proof" of Russia's constant warnings that the militants possess chemicals. Idlib remains a terrorist "safe haven", he stressed.


Comment: Russia had been warning for months about chlorine gas smuggling in Idilb and the potential for attacks on civilians.


"If terrorists are left alone for more time I think they will only continue such attacks, which I think makes it more and more imperative to go ahead as soon as possible to eliminate these terrorists," Rizk told the channel.

Speaking of what terrorists can achieve by such actions, the analyst said that they want to show that the war is not over and boost morale among militants, as well as scare off Syrian refugees who fled the country from returning back home.

Previous alleged chemical weapons attack in the city of Douma in April, for which the West was quick to pin the blame on Damascus, was used as a pretext for US-UK-French missile strikes against Syria. Russia has repeatedly stressed that the incident was staged and warned that terrorist groups are plotting to carry out more false flag chemical attacks in the Arab Republic.

Russia then stepped in hitting positions of Syrian militants used for Aleppo gas attack.

Russian aircraft struck militant targets in the Idlib demilitarized zone, from which Syrian militants launched a "poisonous substance" attack on civilians in the city of Aleppo, Moscow announced.

The air raid was aimed particularly at artillery positions of the militants, according to the Defense Ministry's spokesperson, Major General Igor Konashenkov.

However, the militants did not plan to stop at one assault. Intelligence data showed that further attacks of the kind were planned, Konashenkov revealed.


Comment: From Muraselon:
The air raid was aimed particularly at artillery positions of the militants. "All the targets were eliminated as a result of the airstrike," the Defense Ministry's spokesperson, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said. Konashinkov confirmed that "based on intelligence, Russian warplanes attacked the sites of terrorists who bombed Aleppo with chemical-laden ammunition on Saturday night, November 24, destroying all the targets."



The airstrikes came less than a day after several residential areas of Aleppo were hit with "gas" munitions fired by the Syrian militants. At least 46 people were treated for symptoms of chlorine poisoning, the Russian MoD confirmed earlier.

Local news agency, SANA, has put the injury toll even higher, saying that up to 107 people - women and children among them - fell victim to the assault.

The West's reaction to the attack on late Saturday has been rather restrained so far. France is the only state that has given its take on the assault, saying the case should be addressed by the international chemical watchdog - the OPCW. Admitting that he does not have enough information at the moment, French President Emmanuel Macron promised to raise the issue in talks with his "partners" within the EU and beyond.

Meanwhile, Damascus has called on the UN Security Council to immediately condemn the "terrorist crimes" and "take ... measures" against the states supporting terrorism.