OPCW’s Fact-Finding Mission – FFM released a report on the incident in Al-Awamid neighborhood of Old Aleppo in Syria. The investigation was initiated in response to a “note verbale” (No. 69) by the Syrian regime, in which it claimed that chemicals were used as a weapon.
The fact-finding mission – FFM deployed a team to Syria between September 4 and October 11, 2016. The team is consisted of of OPCWs’ inspectors and interpreters, investigated the incident by conducting interviews and reviewing documents along with all information provided by the regime. A total of 25 interviews related to the reported incident were conducted.
In a note verbale, the Syrian regime reported that 6 people were killed and 20 others were seriously injured during the incident in Al-Awamid.
The injured were transferred to Zahi Al-Azraq Hospital in Aleppo, where they were treated for symptoms such as immediate burns, headaches, general lethargy, dry mouth, and loss of consciousness. Treatment included oxygen, intravenous fluids, and antibiotics.
The medical report from Zahi Al-Azraq Hospital suggested the “possibility” that the gas involved could have been “mustard gas” though the hospital’s report did not conclusively confirm this.
The OPCW’s Fact-Finding Mission- FFM published a report on December 21, 2016 (S/1444/2016) that outlined the team’s data analysis methodology, which included conducting interviews, translations, and reviewing both visual and textual content related to the incident.
It also puts in consideration the information provided by the Syrian regime, identifying commonalities and analyzing inconsistencies in the available data.
The report concluded that the clinical symptoms observed in the injured were consistent with exposure to chemicals or environmental pollutants.
However, the “visual and olfactory” descriptions of the potential irritant did not clearly point to any specific chemical.
In conclusion, the report emphasized that the Fact-Finding Mission- FFM could not confidently determine that chemicals were used as a weapon in this incident. It also noted that it was unlikely that the reported deaths were caused by chemical exposure.
Aleppo chemical_attack chemical_weapons FFM opcw syria
