Syrian troops continued their attack on rebel-held areas near the capital of Damascus a day after activists charged the government of Bashar Al-Assad with a large-scale chemical attack that killed up to 1300 people. They charged that Al-Assad’s troops fired rockets that released deadly fumes over rebel-held areas, killing hundreds of Syrian civilians, including many children, while they slept. If proven to be a chemical attack, it would be the world’s most lethal attack since the 1980s. Video footage from the site showed most of the victims had no visible wounds and there was little blood, lending credence to the theory that chemical weapons were used.
Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said that regime has used chemical weapons repeatedly in Syria, although he did not respond directly to this attack. He also said Al-Assad presently controls only 40 percent of the country. At the same time, some chemical weapons experts say there are questions surrounding the attack because medical personnel and others seen handling the victims did not wear protective gear. The attack came one year after US President Barack Obama said the use of chemical weapons in Syria would be a “red line.” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said he was shocked and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.