The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in Syria issued a report on the incidents in the town of Al-Lataminah, located in Hama Governorate, on March 24 and 25, 2017.
The mission published its report on June 13, 2018 (S/1636/2018*), confirming the use of two different chemical agents as weapons in separate attacks on Al-Lataminah, in the countryside of Hama.
While investigating a previous incident (the Khan Sheikhoun attack on April 4, 2017, which was the primary focus of the investigation), the FFM was also tasked with examining allegations of a chemical weapon attack in Al-Lataminah on March 25, 2017. During this inquiry, the team uncovered additional claims of toxic chemical use as a weapon in another part of Al-Lataminah on March 24, 2017.
The Panel reached conclusions on both incidents by analyzing interviews, environmental samples, supporting materials, and limited references and records provided during interviews, along with corroborating evidence.
According to the report, coordination occurred between various non-governmental organizations, including the Chemical Violations Documentation Center in Syria (CVDCS) and the Syrian Civil Defense, to thoroughly investigate the available information and reach witnesses who had been exposed to the chemicals.
The report outlined the fact-finding team’s methodology for data collection, including gathering testimonies and conducting interviews, but noted that the team had limited access to medical records.
Incident of March 24, 2017
Interviews related to the March 24 incident began at the end of July 2017. The FFM conducted in-person interviews with six individuals, including victims and medical personnel, all male (one treating doctor, one medical support staff member, three eyewitnesses, and one sample collector).
According to the report, victims began arriving at the hospital around 6 a.m., and the incoming patients were described as having “an unspecified irritating odor, unlike the smell of chlorine.”
Based on various factors including samples, interview accounts, and medical records, the mission concluded that 16 individuals displayed symptoms consistent with exposure to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, suggesting a nerve agent was used.
The report confirmed that sample analysis indicated the presence of sarin gas and other chemicals. The findings were consistent with the use of sarin in the attacks on Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, 2017, and in Al-Lataminah on March 30, 2017.
Incident of March 25, 2017
According to the report, at approximately 3 p.m. on March 25, 2017, eyewitnesses reported two helicopter airstrikes in the northwestern suburbs of Al-Lataminah. During each strike, the helicopter dropped two barrels (with a 15-minute gap between the first and second strikes).
The report confirmed that one of the cylinders landed on a concrete sandbag-reinforced roof at the entrance of the hospital but did not explode. The impact caused the cylinder to pierce the roof, leading to a gas leak inside the hospital, rendering it non-operational.
Although the fact-finding team was unable to visit the hospital, they reviewed records and interviewed medical personnel involved in treating the victims. The interviewees provided consistent accounts of the incident, detailing the medical signs, symptoms, and the process of sample collection.
The FFM team interviewed 13 individuals, including victims, treating doctors (two of whom were also involved in environmental sampling), all male (two treating physicians, two medical support staff, seven eyewitnesses, and three sample collectors).
The mission found that 33 individuals, including 15 hospital staff members, displayed symptoms consistent with exposure to a chemical agent that “irritated tissues in the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs,” which were released from the cylinders due to chemical impact.
The report concluded that chlorine gas was used as a chemical weapon in the attack on Al-Lataminah on March 25, 2017.
chemical_attack chemical_weapons chlorine chlorine_attack FFM opcw sarin syria
