Syrian Opponents: Assad's Government Used Chemical Gas in Attack on City

Syrian opposition groups claim that a military helicopter used chemical gas to bomb areas under their control. The Syrian National Coalition, a group of opposition factions, stated that the Bashar al-Assad government was responsible for this attack. Reuters reported, citing a spokesman for the Syrian Civil Defense, that a military helicopter dropped chemical bombs on the city of 'Saraqib' in Idlib province, which is controlled by Assad's opponents, on Tuesday, August 12. The opponents of Bashar al-Assad claim that these bombs likely contained toxic chlorine gas, and 33 people, mostly women and children, were poisoned as a result of inhalation. Reuters notes that the Syrian government and Russia, which supports its military, have not yet responded to this report, but the Syrian president has previously denied any use of chemical weapons against his opponents. Fighting in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, which are largely controlled by opposition groups, has intensified in recent weeks. These two provinces are adjacent to each other. Aleppo, which was the largest city in Syria and the country's economic hub, has been divided into government and opposition-controlled areas since 2012. However, in recent weeks, the Syrian army, with the help of its supporters, has managed to besiege areas controlled by the opposition. Meanwhile, a coalition of opposition groups has launched a major counteroffensive since Sunday to break this siege. AFP reported that the Syrian Air Force conducted extensive attacks against opponents around Aleppo on Monday night, which slowed the advance of the rebels. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that amid these attacks, Syrian army forces were able to regain five out of eight positions they had lost since Sunday. These attacks occurred despite a recent request from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Russia for 'restraint' regarding the Syrian crisis.