The German government expressed concern about reports of the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria, not far from the capital of Damascus and the northern province of Idlib. “If it turns out that the Syrian army once again resorted to the use of chemical weapons, this horrible act would be a flagrant violation of the moral and legal obligations not to use them,” said the German Foreign Ministry in a press release on February 5.

Earlier it became known that the Syrian military might have used chlorine. Human rights activists from the Syrian Human Rights Watch and representatives of the White Helmets humanitarian organization reported that numerous casualties occurred as a result of alleged attacks among the civilian population. Independent sources have not yet confirmed this report, but France’s permanent representative to the UN, Francois Delattre, believes that there is no doubt about the methodical use of chemical weapons by Damascus. “Suspicions about the Syrian arsenal of chemical weapons have still not been dispelled,” Delattre said at a UN Security Council meeting, as quoted by Interfax.

After Syrian jihadists shot down a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft, Russia stepped up air strikes in northern Syria. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that in the area from which the MPADS were launched at the Russian aircraft, a “group strike with precision weapons” was carried out, resulting in the death of more than 30 militants. According to Syrian human rights activists, attacks were carried out on residential buildings and hospitals, resulting in numerous civilians being killed and wounded.

  chemical attack, Syria, Germany

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