The attack was carried out on the city of Douma, a rebel-held enclave 10-km east of Damascus, with at least 70 people losing their lives.
Numerous news as well as aid-agencies have accused the Syrian Government of carrying out a nerve agent attack against its citizens in the garb of attacking rebels.
The focus of the attack was a particular area in Douma, a city which many believe is one of the last strongholds of rebels in Syria after the government-led coalition routed them from their former stronghold in Eastern Ghouta.
Rescue workers reported that at least 42 people lost their lives directly as the result of the attack, with hundreds injured. They further said that dozens of patients with breathing problems and burning eyes were admitted to the nearby clinics.
Videos and images allegedly of the victims of the attack, as well as their family members, show some foaming at the mouth, an indication that a nerve agent was indeed used in the attack.
Responding to the news, Syrian state media claimed that the Government did not use any chemical agent in the attack and that the rebels who are holding the area are spreading false news.
One of the paramedics treating the victims told media outlets that the attack was carried out near a bomb shelter where people were residing thinking they were safe.
Rescuers said that they were unable to remove the dead bodies of the victims from the areas where they died because of further attacks, the suffocating odor of the toxic gas, and the shortage of protective gear.
This attack has come at a time when negotiations were ongoing regarding the transfer of rebels from Douma to another area in Syria’s north which is currently outside of the Government’s control.
Some observers take the attack as a sign that all is not going well with the ceasefire talks, and that the attack is a warning by the Syrian Government to the rebels to agree to the terms being offered to them, or face the risk of further attacks.
If proved true, the chemical attack would pose a new challenge for President Trump. For, while he ordered a missile attack on the Syrian airbase after a missile attack, the U.S. President has recently declared that he wants the United States out of Syria.
Mr. Trump took to Twitter on Sunday to not only condemn the attack but also point fingers at Iran and Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting Syrian President Assad, who Mr. Trump addressed as an ‘’animal’’ in his Twitter post.
Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
Responding to the attack, the US Government claimed it was working to verify whether any chemical weapons were used in the attack. White House officials refused to rule out a military response.
