Syria Opposition Claims Hundreds Dead in ‘Gas’ Attack

Government forces loyal to President Bashar Assad have carried out a “poisonous gas” attack near the capital Damascus that has left hundreds dead, Syrian opposition groups claimed Wednesday.

Anti-government activists are saying that regime forces fired “rockets with poisonous gas heads” in the attack. The number of reported deaths has ranged from 100 to close to 800. The claims and reports could not be independently confirmed.

The Syrian government denied the claims of a chemical weapons attack Wednesday.

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“Several sources have reported that dozens of tanks and armored vehicles are accompanying thousands of Syrian army soldiers encircling East Ghouta, as MiGs complete bombing runs over the area,” Layman said in a statement.

Tony Badran, a Middle East analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said the area is one the regime has not been able to capture despite multiple attempts.

Apart from allowing rebel forces to launch attacks on the capital, some of the towns attacked Wednesday overlook the highway from Damascus to Homs, which the regime seeks to secure, Badran said.

“If you're going to consolidate the capital you have to clear these areas out,” he said. “These areas have a potential of disrupting communications lines the regime is trying to secure to link areas it wants to retain.”

Wednesday's claims, if confirmed, would be the most serious since the March 19 incident in Khan al-Assal when at least 30 people were killed. Assad's regime and the rebels have blamed each other for that attack.

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