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A Report of the use of chemical Weapons in Syria

(Damascus the capital, Jobar neighborhood)

Center For Documentation Of Violations in Syria

April 2013

On the 4th of April 2013 in jobar neighborhood of Damascus suburb, the VDC has documented that four soldiers of the Free Syrian army were exposed to toxic gases while fighting on the frontline, consequently they were taken to the (Pharaonic Medical center), which is a subdivision of the unified medical center in the eastern Ghota region, main symptoms that appeared on the soldiers were respiratory Stenosis with congestion and a runny nose, Paramedics at the medical center have injected the soldiers with “Alhdrokortizon” in their veins, with high concentration of oxygen's spray, consequently they responded to treatment, and no death case has been recorded on that day.

Two days later 22 young men have came to the (Pharaonic Medical center) complaining of having respiratory Stenosis, coughing, headache, nasal congestion, and upon examining them, Medical staff come to conclude that they all had iris’s stenosis, and accordingly they were treated through injecting them with high concentration of oxygen spray, and an ampoule of “ Atrobeen “ every half an hours, till their irises’ have came back to normal size, only 3 out of the 22 had symptoms of nausea and vomiting.

12 hour later 6 new cases have arrived at the hospital complaining to have headache blurred vision and severe iris’s stenosis, Patients have shown no response when injected with “ Atropeen “ , so they were sedated using “kitameen “ that put them to sleep for many hours, but still headache was there when they awakened, so they were further injected with “ Sytamol” through their veins, that put them to sleep for almost 18 hours, consequently they woke up feeling better, noticing that all symptoms have gone completely.

Due to the lack of adequate lab analysis equipments, the medical staffs weren’t able to identify the nature of the toxic gases, but they came to the following findings:

1. Applying Atropeen on the injected proved to be necessary to mitigate iris's stenosis, and will produce clear positive results when intermittently injected at intervals of thirty minutes.
2. Patients who suffered severe headaches, showed positive response when they were injected with intravenous Cetamul and muscular Cetamul.
3. All Infected Patients suffered runny nose after inhaling these gases, and atropine use seemed to be helpful to treat this symptom
4. Few patients suffered nausea and vomiting.
5. Lab test results for infected patients showed an increase in blood urea and Creatine through the first hours reaching 122 for urea and 1.6 for Creatine ,and went back to normal a few days after.
6. A symptom of Eye’s congestion was seen on the medical staff participating in giving medical service for the infected patients.

The media team of the neighborhood captured the following footage, showing infected patients, as well as some explanations from a field doctor on the cases that he has treated http://goo.gl/KzdJ0

The violations Documentation center in Syria confirms that, regime’s forces have used grenades that caused those effects on the armed opposition fighters in Jobar Neighborhood-Abasieen Territory, on the 14th of April 2013.

More than thirty infected injuries for opposition’s fighters were recorded, cases were medically defined as (difficulty in breathing, Redness of the eyes in addition to sag and absence of consciousness, and it was noted that some of the medics and nurses were infected too and they showed some of the symptoms after aiding some of the injured)..

These bombs were thrown from a relatively close distance (40 – 50) at al-moustafa Mosque close to Maisaloon sport's club, the area where regime’s forces holed in, and have continuously witnessed clashes with the armed opposition.

With emphasis that airstrikes were not used to fire those bombs, and field activists couldn’t precisely define the method used for firing those bombs, whether rocket launchers were used or any other means, but it is mostly thought they were thrown at the opposition's fighters to force them to retreat, in their quest to storm the area.

Upon authorization by activists, we confirmed the exact Coordinates where FSA soldiers were subject to chemical weapons attacks on 04/04/2013, 06/04/2013 and 14/04/2013 which are:‬

Among the cases listed earlier on 14/04/2013 in Jobar neighborhood in the capital Damascus, the center documented one death case as a result of inhaling these gases.

The martyr Ibrahim darwish from the brigade (Al-Ghootah commandos) of the Syrian free Army,where a video footage was recorded and uploaded on the brigade's channel on YouTube. claiming that he was the first martyr to cite after being exposed to a chemical weapon in the frontline of Joabr-neighborhood on the eastern-Ghootah, but the center was unable to confirm the news immediately due to have difficulties communicating with the brigade

Below is the footage for Martyr Ibrahim: : http://goo.gl/wuRzH

The center has documented the use of chemical gases for the third time during two days on 16/04/2013.

The use of chemical gases was observed again on 17/04/2013 on the frontline of Jobar’s neighborhood, where activists have recorded this footage, showing one of the infected patients suffering a difficulty in breathinghttp://goo.gl/nfxYF

On Parallel, and on the front line of Daraya in Damascus suburb, 9 infected patients arrived at the field hospital, suffering suffocation as a result of being exposed to toxic gases on 25/03/2013. http://goo.gl/iWmES

These cases were not the only ones documented by the center regarding the use of chemical weapons by the regime's army forces; where the following cases were documented as well:

1. Al'aotaibah territory in the province of Damascus countryside on 19/03/2013: 9 death cases were documented as a result of chemical weapons’ use. http://goo.gl/CM9R9
2. Khan Al-A'asal territory in the province of Aleppo on 19/03/2013: 22 death cases were documented as a result of chemical weapons’ use. http://goo.gl/YDKFI
3. Dumah territory in the province of Damascus countryside on 24/03/2013: 2 death cases were documented as a result of chemical weapons’ use http://goo.gl/rCIdV
4. Alshekh Maqood neighborhood in the province of Aleppo on 13/04/2013: 14 death cases were documented as a result of chemical weapon’s use. http://goo.gl/qUBW8

In addition to what we detailed earlier on Jobar’s neighborhood on 14/04/2013.