{"id":246359,"date":"2016-09-07T05:52:36","date_gmt":"2016-09-07T05:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=246359"},"modified":"2016-09-07T05:52:36","modified_gmt":"2016-09-07T05:52:36","slug":"syria-conflict-government-helicopters-drop-chlorine-on-aleppo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/09\/syria-conflict-government-helicopters-drop-chlorine-on-aleppo\/","title":{"rendered":"Syria conflict: Government helicopters ‘drop chlorine’ on Aleppo"},"content":{"rendered":"
Syrian government forces have been accused of dropping barrel bombs containing chlorine from helicopters on a suburb of Aleppo, injuring 80 people.<\/p>\n
Volunteer emergency workers say people suffered breathing difficulties after an attack on the Sukari area.<\/p>\n
The reports could not be independently verified. A\u00a0UN-led investigation in August found the government had used chlorine on at least two occasions.<\/p>\n
The Syrian government has always denied using chemical weapons.<\/p>\n
It comes as Syrian opposition leaders prepare to meet in London on Wednesday to launch a new plan for a political transition to try to end the conflict.<\/p>\n
The opposition’s main political group, the High Negotiations Committee, will be hosted by UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and foreign ministers from the Friends of Syria group will attend.<\/p>\n
Ibrahem Alhaj, a Syrian Civil Defence rescue worker, said he had reached the scene of the Aleppo attack shortly after a helicopter dropped barrels containing what he said were four chlorine cylinders on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Syrian Civil Defence, a volunteer emergency response team that operates in opposition-held areas, posted video on its Facebook page showing distressed children using oxygen masks to breathe.<\/p>\n