Special to WorldTribune.com

NICOSIA — The Syrian opposition has reported a horrific chemical weapons attack by the regime of President Bashar Assad.

The opposition said at least 600 people were killed in CW operations by the Syrian Army.

The attack on late Aug. 20 consisted of the firing of artillery shells tipped with CW warheads into several suburbs of Damascus.

“Regime forces after midnight stepped up military operations in the eastern Ghouta and western Ghouta zones of the Damascus region with aircraft and rocket launchers, causing several dozen dead and wounded,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Both Russia and Syria have denied any CW operation. On Aug. 22, the Syrian Army resumed shelling of the same neighborhoods that were said to be earlier struck by CW.

NATO countries, including the United States, said they were investigating the reported attacks.

Washington called for a United Nations investigation and hours later the Security Council met.The council, blocked by China and Russia, failed to order an investigation of the rocket strike.

The London-based opposition group said rockets with CW agents struck
the rebel-held suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar in the Ghouta region.
The group said many of the casualties were women and children overcome by
nerve gas.

“These were rockets with poisonous gas warheads,” Syrian Observatory said.

Another opposition group, the Local Coordination Committees, also reported the CW attack. LCC did not specify a casualty figure.

The attack took place during the visit by a UN chemical weapons team. The UN delegation, led by Ake Sellstrom, has been allowed to visit three sites cited in previous CW attacks.

The opposition released videos of scores of people writhing on the ground and gasping for breath. By evening, one opposition group claimed that 755 people were killed in the CW strike. A leading Syrian dissident, George
Sabra, said 1,300 people were killed.

“This time it was for annihilation rather than terror,” Sabra told a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey.

  ‘Annihilation’: Syrian opposition reports massive chemical weapons attack, Bashar Assad, Ghouta, Russia block UN call to investigate, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, UN Security Council