On August 21st 2013, the world awakened to the news that the Assad regime bombarded the Syrian civilians with chemical attacks.
Due to the chemical weapons used in East Gutai region which is connected to Damascus, the Baathist regime murdered close to 1,500 Syrians, mainly women and children. When the revolution began on March 2011, the Hafez Assad Syrian government regime found the opportunity to acquire chemical weapons. They then drew the world’s attention towards them by using these chemical weapons to attack civilians.
Today marks the anniversary of many deaths which occurred from chemical gas attacks in East Gutai’s Hammuri, Arbin, Sepken, Keffi Batna, Muaddamiye, Cobark, Ain Tarma and Zamalka region.
It was determined that the Assad forces used sarin gas on the people during the hours they were still asleep.
Many people were admitted into hospital because they had breathing and visual impairments. However, the Assad regime used their forces to bomb hospitals. As a result, they were unable to be treated or many people lost their lives due the embargo applied to the area. The lack of medical supplies led to many people dying with an agonizing death.
After the attacks, various reports show that Syria bough their first chemical weapon from the Soviet Union in 1973. The Syrian production began in mid 1980’s. In the later years, Syria bought chemical weapons from the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia for defensive purposes. The Syrian government allegedly has 4 chemical weapon factories, 2 ammunition depots and 1 laboratory.
It is also alleged that the Syrian regime owns an advanced chemical weapon program containing deadly mustard ‘İprit' (sulfur mustard) and sarin gases, they also own thousands of air bombs filled with sarin and roughly 50-100 short and long-range ballistic missiles and artillery shells.
It is said that the weapons are hidden and protected with great security in two munitions depots located in the north-east of Damascus, the capital of arms in the north of Homs.