More victims of Assad chemical attack die in Turkey

By Burcu Calik and Duygu Yener

ANKARA

The death toll has risen to six out of dozens of victims rushed to Turkish hospitals after a chemical weapons attack in Syria that killed scores earlier this month, Health Minister Recep Akdag said Friday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency’s Editors’ Desk in Ankara, Akdag said a total of 34 people were hospitalized in Turkey after the Assad regime attack in Idlib, Syria.

"Twenty-five of 34 victims were discharged from the hospital. The treatment of three continues in Hatay State Hospital.

"Unfortunately, six people lost their lives. Initially, there were three but as of today a total of six people have died [from the attack]," Akdag said.

He gave no details of the times of death.

Akdag pointed to concrete evidence of the use of sarin gas in the attack found in the victims’ blood and urine samples.

"The clinical situations of the cases were already pointing to the use of a chemical weapon. We have confirmed this with laboratory and autopsy results," he said.

Sarin detected

The use of sarin gas in the April 4 attack killed around 100 civilians and injured some 500 in the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhun, Idlib.

A day after the strike, Turkey invited WHO to send experts to jointly investigate it. WHO officials arrived in the Adana province to help autopsy three Syrian bodies at the Adana Forensic Medicine Institute.

On Tuesday, Turkey said a sarin gas metabolite, isopropyl methylphosphonic acid, had been detected in several Syrian victims being treated in Hatay.

White House officials later also confirmed that the victims’ symptoms were consistent with sarin exposure.

The Assad regime attack led to widespread international outrage, including attempts to pass a UN Security Council resolution condemning it, blocked this week by Russia.

Reporting by Burcu Calik and Duygu Yener; Writing by Burcu Arik