UN officially blames Syrian government for ‘dozens’ of chemical attacks

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – United Nations war crimes investigators on Wednesday confirmed Syrian government forces had used chemical weapons over two dozen times during the country’s civil war.

Detectives also said Damascus was responsible for the deadly sarin chemical attack on Khan Shaykun in April which killed over 80 civilians.

The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said its findings were “the most conclusive” to date regarding the air raid on the town in Idlib Province.

“Government forces continued the pattern of using chemical weapons against civilians in opposition-held areas,” the UN report said.

“In the gravest incident, the Syrian air force used sarin in Khan Shaykun, Idlib, killing dozens, the majority of whom were women and children,” the report added, declaring the assault a war crime.

Investigators said they based their findings on photographs of bomb remnants, satellite imagery, and witness testimony.

A separate joint inquiry by the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) plans to report by October on who was responsible for the Idlib attack.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has denied using chemical weapons, maintaining his regime had turned over all their weapons “years ago.”

Responding to the chemical raid, US President Donald Trump ordered 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles to target the Shayrat airfield from where the attack was reportedly launched.

In an interview with AFP following the US strike, Assad insisted Washington had “made up” the chemical assault to justify their military intervention in Syria.

In the aftermath of the attack, Russia blamed rebel fighters for the fatal incident, claiming a routine Syrian regime strike hit a rebel arms depot containing “toxic substances,” a claim rejected by experts.

Editing by Ava Homa