OPCW: No Grounds ISIS’ 2017 Attack in Syria Involved Chemicals

The Palestinian Yarmouk camp, south of Damascus, in December 2020 (EPA)
The Palestinian Yarmouk camp, south of Damascus, in December 2020 (EPA)
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OPCW: No Grounds ISIS’ 2017 Attack in Syria Involved Chemicals

The Palestinian Yarmouk camp, south of Damascus, in December 2020 (EPA)
The Palestinian Yarmouk camp, south of Damascus, in December 2020 (EPA)

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on Monday there were “no reasonable grounds” to conclude that a 2017 “attack” in Syria blamed on ISIS contained chemical weapons.

OPCW said Damascus in November 2017 reported “use of toxic chemicals in an attack by the terrorist organization ISIS against another terrorist group called Aknaf Beit Almaqdis.”

The alleged attack took place at the sprawling Yarmouk district in Damascus in October that year.

It resulted in several cases of breathing difficulties “and loss of consciousness in the ranks of Aknaf terrorist group,” Damascus told the OPCW.

But the Hague-based body said after investigating, its Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) concluded that “there are no reasonable grounds to determine that toxic chemicals were used as a weapon in the reported incident.”

Set up in 2014, the FFM investigates the use of chemical weapons in Syria, but it cannot identify the perpetrators behind the attacks.

The OPCW's investigators based their findings on chemical sample analyses, interviews with witnesses, video and photo evidence and documents and correspondence with the Syrian government.

“The samples analysis results provided no indication that chemicals were used as a weapon,” the OPCW said in a statement.

“There was no detection of the presence of scheduled chemicals, their precursors and, or their degradation products, nor of riot control agents, chlorinated organic chemicals or compounds containing chemically reactive chlorine,” it said.

The FFM also tried to interview witnesses who were present “in areas of interest at the time of the reported incident.”

This was unsuccessful because several witnesses had died, or were missing, while others who had initially agreed to provide testimony “ultimately declined to provide their account of the events to the FFM,” the OPCW said.

The war in Syria has killed more than half a million people since it erupted in March 2011.

Syria agreed in 2013 to join the OPCW, shortly after an alleged chemical gas attack killed more than 1,400 people near Damascus.

But the global watchdog had since accused President Bashar al-Assad's regime of continuing to attack civilians with chemical weapons in the Middle East country's brutal civil war.

Damascus denies the charges.



National Coalition: Positive Meeting with New Syrian Leadership

The head of the National Coalition (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The head of the National Coalition (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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National Coalition: Positive Meeting with New Syrian Leadership

The head of the National Coalition (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The head of the National Coalition (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Syrian National Coalition for Revolutionary and Opposition Forces announced that the meeting held on Wednesday evening at the People’s Palace in Damascus between Ahmed Al-Sharaa, leader of the new Syrian administration, and the head of the coalition, was “positive and constructive.”
The discussion reportedly involved a candid and transparent exchange of perspectives on the challenges of the current phase and potential strategies to address them in a manner that serves the Syrian people and nation.
In a statement published on its website on Sunday, the coalition addressed what it described as “misinformation” circulating on social media regarding the content of the meeting.
The group reaffirmed its support for the efforts of the interim government in Damascus “amid these difficult circumstances” to achieve security, civil peace, and stability, as well as to deliver essential services to citizens. It also expressed appreciation for the support of allied and friendly nations in providing humanitarian aid and assisting the new leadership in alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people and fostering stability.
During the meeting, the coalition leadership and the new Syrian administration discussed several critical issues, including plans for the upcoming national conference. Talks also covered the role of political and societal institutions, as well as civil society organizations that emerged during and prior to the revolution. The coalition clarified that the meeting did not involve discussions about quotas, appointments, or any matters unrelated to the broader interests of the Syrian people.
The statement underscored the need for collective action to support state-building efforts that align with the aspirations of the Syrian people. It reiterated the coalition’s vision for the transitional phase and emphasized the importance of unity among Syrians.
“All Syrians are in the same boat and must navigate it together, sharing responsibilities and working in coordination to achieve their common goals,” the statement read.