Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 9 april 2018

Suspected poison gas kills at least 40 in Damascus suburb

By PHILIP ISSA talities but was impeded
BEIRUT (AP) — Suspected from searching further by
poison gas was used to strong odors that gave
attack the last remaining rescuers difficulties breath-
foothold for the Syrian op- ing, said Siraj Mahmoud, a
position in the eastern sub- spokesman for the group.
urbs of Damascus, killing A joint statement by the
at least 40 people, includ- civil defense group and
ing families found in their the medical society said
homes and shelters, oppo- that more than 500 peo-
sition activists and local res- ple, mostly women and
cuers said Sunday. children, were brought to
The attack on the besieged medical centers complain-
town of Douma came al- ing of difficulty breathing,
most exactly a year af- foaming at the mouth and
ter a chemical attack in burning sensations in the
the northern Syrian town eyes. Some had bluish skin,
of Khan Sheikhoun killed a sign of oxygen depriva-
dozens of people. That at- tion.
tack prompted the U.S. to The symptoms were consis-
launch several dozen Tom- tent with chemical expo-
ahawk cruise missiles at a sure. One patient, a wom-
Syrian air base. an, had convulsions and
President Donald Trump This image released early Sunday, April 8, 2018 by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, shows pinpoint pupils, suggesting
a child receiving oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack in the rebel-
blamed Syrian government held town of Douma, near Damascus, Syria. exposure to a nerve agent,
forces for what he called Associated Press the statement said.
a "mindless CHEMICAL at- The Syrian Observatory
tack" and warned there of chlorine. their loved ones in the rub- and delivered a rare per- for Human Rights issued a
would be a "big price to Those reports could not ble," Bakkar said. "And we sonal criticism of Russian higher death toll, saying
pay." He did not elaborate. be independently verified don't have any space left President Vladimir Putin at least 80 people were
In a series of tweets, Trump because of a government to bury them." for supporting him. A top killed in Douma, including
held Russia and Iran, Syrian blockade around the town. More than 100 buses en- White House aide, asked around 40 who died from
President Bashar Assad's Hours after the attack, the tered the town Sunday about the possibility of an- suffocation. But it said the
chief sponsors, responsible. Army of Islam rebel group night to transport fight- other U.S. missile strike, said, suffocations were the re-
The Syrian government de- agreed to surrender the ers and their families to "I wouldn't take anything sult of shelters collapsing on
nied the allegations, calling town and evacuate their Jarablus, a town under off the table." people inside them.
them fabrications. fighters to rebel-held north- the shared control of reb- The developments come "Until this minute, no one
First responders enter- ern Syria, Syrian state me- els and Turkey, said Syrian as Trump has declared has been able to find out
ing apartments in Douma dia reported. The group state-affiliated al-Ikhbariya his intent to withdraw U.S. the kind of agent that was
late Saturday said they also agreed to give up its TV. troops from Syria in the used," Mahmoud said in
found bodies collapsed on prisoners, a key demand of The preparations follow coming months despite re- a video statement from
floors, some foaming at the the government. a pattern of evacuations sistance from many of his northern Syria.
mouth. The opposition's Syr- The government agreed to around the capital and advisers. The Syrian government,
ian Civil Defense rescue or- halt its assault after three other major Syrian cities as Bakkar said several bombs in a statement posted on
ganization said the victims days of indiscriminate air the government reasserts laced with chemicals the state-run news agency
appeared to have suffo- and ground attacks. its control after seven years landed in Douma Satur- SANA, denied the allega-
cated. "There's nothing left for civil- of war. day night. Another activ- tions. It said the claims were
They did not identify the ians and fighters. We don't Human rights groups and ist, Bilal Abou Salah, said "fabrications" by the Army
substance used, but the have anything to stand U.N. officials say the tac- a large, yellow cylinder of Islam and a "failed at-
civil defense organization, fast," said Haitham Bakkar, tic amounts to forced dis- smashed through the roof tempt" to impede govern-
also known as the White an opposition activist inside placement, a war crime. of an apartment building ment advances. "The army,
Helmets, and the Syrian the town. He spoke to the The Army of Islam could not and came to rest on the which is advancing rapidly
American Medical Society, Associated Press by What- be immediately reached third floor and started to and with determination,
a medical relief organiza- sApp. for comment. discharge gas. does not need to use any
tion, said survivors treated "People now are going out In his tweets Sunday, Trump The Syrian Civil Defense kind of chemical agents,"
at clinics smelled strongly in the streets looking for called Assad an "animal" group documented 42 fa- the statement said.q