The Jaysh al-Islam militant group that fights government forces in Syria has admitted to using banned weapons against the Kurdish militia in Aleppo without specifying the exact substances that were used.
Jaysh al-Islam’s statement of using the banned weapons comes after reports of chemical gas been used in shelling Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsood district. In the statement, the group didn’t specify any names of weapons that were used in Aleppo. However, they assured that the guilty ones will take responsibility for their actions.
The group’s statement reads: “During the clashes one of the Jaysh al-Islam brigade leaders used [weapons] forbidden in this kind of confrontations.”
The brigade commander was summoned to a military court, where is decided he is to be held accountable, the group says.
“This situation is contrary to the charter of Jaysh al-Islam,” says the group.
In the attack of Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood, which was attacked with mortars containing chemical gas on Thursday, were killed 23 people and more than a 100 were injured, local journalist Nawrouz Uthman told RT.
Again reports of YPG held #SheikhMaqsoud neighbourhood of Aleppo shelled with chemical agents from territory held by Islamist & FSA factions
— Lizzie Phelan (@LizziePhelan) April 7, 2016
A video shot in the Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood shows several men experiencing difficulty breathing and a voice behind the camera saying there was a chemical attack in the area.
The use of chemicals in the attacks was confirmed from the Kurdish Red Crescent as well.
“The symptoms of those affected by the attack such as choking made it possible to affirm that they were poisoned as a result of the use of banned toxic gases such as chlorine or other agents. All our patients have similar symptoms,” Doctor Wallat Mamu told RT.
Breaking / urgent #AlQaeda&extremist r using chemical GAS in shelling #SheikhMaqsood #TwitterKurds #Syria #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/ylapl8ie8y
— Kovan Direj (@kovandire) April 7, 2016
YPG also confirmed that toxic agents had been used by the Islamists, according to RIA Novosti.
“We confirm the information concerning usage by Islamists, acting under patronage of Turkey, of the poisonous agent in the Maqsood neighborhood of Aleppo. Its poisonous effect have experienced dozens of civilians,” the head of the YPG central headquarters was cited as saying.
YPG adds that its intentions are to report for the occurred occasion to the Jordan-based US coordination center and the Russian Center for reconciliation of the opposing sides in Syria, which oversee the cessation of hostilities.
“We will report this fact to the ceasefire centers, to the Russian center in Latakia and to the American one in Jordan,” YPG said in a statement.
Moreover, the Russian Defense Ministry reported to have observed a rising in the number in terrorist attacks in the Aleppo area over the past two weeks, killing 44 civilians and wounding 74 more, including children.
“In [the] past two weeks, the number and the scale of terrorist provocations in Aleppo have grown significantly – 44 civilians have been killed and 74, including children, have been wounded as a result of these attacks,” said the ministry’s spokesman, Igor Konashenkov.
According to an official YPG spokesman Redur Xelil, Turkey has a great role in the disruption of the ceasefire in Aleppo by backing militant groups fighting against the Kurds in Syria.
“Here in Sheikh Maqsood, and in Aleppo, there is no cessation of hostilities. The ceasefire has not brought any peace for the YPG and the Kurdish people. In fact it’s the opposite – the attacks on us have intensified. We are absolutely sure that it’s the Turkish government and the rebel groups they support that are responsible for these assaults,” Xelil told RT.