The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in Syria released a report on the Kafr Zita incident in Hama countryside on October 1, 2016.
The Fact-Finding Mission published its report on December 31, 2022, under the number (S/2020/2022), confirming the use of a chemical substance (chlorine) as a weapon in Kafr Zita, Hama countryside.
The Fact-Finding Mission began collecting information related to the alleged incident on October 2, using open-source information to assess the credibility of the claims. The first interview was conducted remotely on October 3.
According to the report, coordination took place between non-governmental organizations, including the Chemical Violations Documentation Center of Syria (CVDCS) and the Syrian Civil Defense, to conduct in-depth research on available information and to reach witnesses who were exposed to the chemical substances.
The mission adhered to the “strict” protocols in all its activities and followed the same general approach outlined in its previous reports. It also collected information related to the incident using its own equipment.
The report clarified that the open-source information and materials used by the mission team were used as an initial phase and then compared with information and materials directly gathered during the investigation. The conclusions of the report are based on the analysis of all the evidence gathered and subsequent cross-referencing.
The report confirmed that the incident occurred on October 1, 2016, at approximately 19:30 local time, when a yellow-painted metal cylinder, approximately 1,370 mm long, loaded with industrial chlorine, fell near Al-Maghara Hospital in Wadi Al-Anz in an agricultural area in Kafr Zita, Hama countryside. Twenty-three people (including a woman and two children) suffered from choking and breathing difficulties, most of which were mild cases.
Eyewitnesses spoke of the presence of two cylinders, but the mission focused its investigations on the cylinder found on October 2, 2016. According to the information gathered by the Fact-Finding Mission team, it was confirmed that the cylinder retrieved from the site was an industrial chlorine cylinder. No information was provided on any fatalities as a result of the incident.
Between October 3, 2016, and October 8, 2021, the Fact-Finding Mission conducted 29 interviews with a total of 25 participants, including victims and treating medical workers. Four eyewitnesses were interviewed twice, and two interviews were conducted via video, involving three treating doctors, one medical support staff, one participant in the retrieval of the gas cylinder, five eyewitnesses, and 15 victims exposed to the chemical substance, both male and female.
The report concluded that a cylinder loaded with chlorine was used as a weapon in Kafr Zita, and that the cylinder exploded due to “mechanical force” and released an irritating toxic substance that affected the respiratory system and mucous membranes.
chemical_attack chemical_weapons chlorine_attack FFM kafr_zeita opcw syria
