An air raid with toxic gas was launched this morning against Khan Sheikhun, a city in Syria located in the northwestern province of Idlib, under the control of the rebels. The terrible attack left over 60 dead, including - according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - at least eleven children, and is a provisional toll destined to increase, made up exclusively of civilians.
And the first attack was not the only one, there were other raids and some hospitals in the area were also hit, endangering the lives of other civilians. Testimonies also from volunteers of international organizations follow one another, the injured are hundreds and the dead, as mentioned, several dozen - according to activists at least 100 - including children.
According to witnesses, hundreds of civilians are vomiting and foaming at the mouth: the symptoms manifested by all are attributable to the use of chemical weapons. This morning the news site close to the opposition 'Shaam' spoke of chlorine bombs, but according to the Health Directorate it would instead be sarin gas, both banned internationally.
The international community is reacting harshly. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Syria has launched investigations into the bombing, recalling that "the use of chemical weapons such as deliberate attacks on medical facilities amount to war crimes and serious violations of international humanitarian law" . Both France and Great Britain have requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which has been set for tomorrow at 10 local time (16 in Italy).
The Italian Foreign Minister, Angelino Alfano, assured that "Italy will also be at the forefront of the UN Security Council's emergency meeting, and tomorrow at the Brussels Conference on Syria, in condemning the use of weapons of mass destruction against the Syrian population and in strongly demanding that those responsible for this crime against humanity be identified". The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, instead pointed the finger at the regime of Bashar al-Assad. "Today the news is terrible," said Mogherini speaking to the media in Brussels on the sidelines of the EU-UN conference. “We Europeans believe that accountability matters, so those who have committed war crimes must be held accountable,” she continued.
