The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in Syria issued a report on the incidents of Qulayb al-Thawr in Salamiyah on August 9, and al-Bulil in Suran on November 8, 2017, in the countryside of Hama.
The FFM published its report on June 11, 2024, under reference number (S/2295/2024), confirming that the information provided was insufficient to determine whether chemical agents were used in the two incidents.
The FFM received a request from the Syrian regime regarding the investigation when it was about to begin investigating earlier reported allegations in Khirbet al-Masasnah (June 28, 2023), Yarmouk (February 22, 2024), and Qulayb al-Thawr (November 24, 2017). The mission subsequently began investigating the two incidents in question.
For safety and security reasons, the FFM did not visit the incident sites in Qulayb al-Thawr and al-Bulil. However, it did visit related sites such as the Hama National Hospital and Salamiyah, where the victims were treated and military reports were issued.
During the investigation, the mission sought to collect information from open sources despite the challenges faced by the team during the verification process, such as the proximity of the reported sites to the frontlines, the lack of photos or video recordings of the sites, and the absence of any images or videos of the munitions used. No environmental samples, including victim clothing, were collected.
The report concluded that, based on the information obtained and analyzed as a whole, in line with the mandate of the FFM to investigate the alleged use of chemical agents as weapons in the regions of Qulayb al-Thawr and al-Bulil, the information was insufficient to provide “reasonable grounds” to determine that toxic chemical agents were used as a weapon.
Incident of Qulayb al-Thawr in Salamiyah on August 9, 2017
At approximately 13:00 local time, the Qulayb al-Thawr military site was subjected to intense shelling with “hand grenades and rocket projectiles,” some of which produced an “unusual sound” upon impact.
The Syrian regime reported to the OPCW Secretariat that ISIS had launched munitions containing “unknown substances” that caused symptoms among its soldiers, including suffocation, fainting, and vomiting. Five injured soldiers were taken to the hospital for treatment (four were transferred to Salamiyah Hospital, and one to Hama National Hospital).
The FFM interviewed eight witnesses (including five individuals present at the incident site and three medical staff members). Four of the five witnesses stated that they were exposed to a toxic chemical agent.
Incident of al-Bulil in Suran on November 8, 2017
The Syrian regime reported to the OPCW Secretariat that its soldiers were exposed to various weapons containing munitions with “toxic substances” during a military operation.
Four Syrian regime soldiers were injured, suffering from excessive tearing, difficulty breathing, convulsions, and, in some cases, loss of consciousness.
The injured soldiers were transferred to Hama National Hospital, and their condition improved within hours. They were discharged successively over the course of three days.
The FFM conducted interviews with 11 witnesses (three of whom were victims).
chemical_attack chemical_weapons FFM Hama opcw syria
