Photoblog: Syria's Khan Sheikhoun residents mark anniversary of deadly sarin attack

Photoblog: Syria's Khan Sheikhoun residents mark anniversary of deadly sarin attack
In pictures: Residents in Khan Sheikhoun mark the anniversary of last year's deadly sarin attack by the Syrian regime, calling for international action to hold the perpetrators accountable.
2 min read
05 Apr, 2018
At least 33 children were killed in last year's deadly sarin gas attack [Aaref Watad]
At least 80 people were killed on April 4 last year when Syrian regime war planes dropped sarin gas on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in northwest Syria.

The chemical assault on the rebel-held town was one of the most shocking of Syria's seven-year war, causing global outrage and rare retaliatory airstrikes by the US.

Residents of Khan Sheikhoun and members of the Syrian Civil Defence forces took a silent stand on Wednesday to commemorate the innocent civilians killed in the deadly gas attack, gathering at the location which regime planes targeted.

In addition to the dead, more than 540 civilians were injured after being exposed to the poisonous gas, including at least 15 Civil Defence volunteers.

International efforts to prevent chemical attacks in Syria in the year since the deadly sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun have failed, rights groups say.

The Syrian regime is responsible for the majority of the 85 confirmed chemical weapon attacks in the country's war.

[Aaref Watad]

"The crimes of Bashar al-Assad are a mark of shame on humanity."

[Aaref Watad]

"Chemical weapons, bombings, forced displacement - international silence is complicity in Assad's crimes."

[Aaref Watad]

"We demand the world intervenes to stop the killing and displacement."

[Aaref Watad]

At least 33 children were killed in the deadly sarin gas attack, while 540 people were injured.

[Aaref Watad]

[Aaref Watad]

"The murder of Syrian children will haunt you forever."

[Aaref Watad]

[Aaref Watad]

One of the signs reads: "A year has passed since the chemical massacre and the murderer walks free with international backing."

[Aaref Watad]

[Aaref Watad]


Aaref Watad is a journalist and photographer from northern Syria. Follow him on Twitter @aboshamariha