Hezbollah "has used chemical weapons" in Syria

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) has accused Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Assad regime of using chemical weapons in a town on the outskirts of Damascus, it has been reported.

According to Al-Arabia news website, an attack on the town of Zamalka caused a number of casualties. The website broadcast a video claiming to have been produced by FSA loyalists but it has not been verified independently. Several causalities appear in the clip with a female voiceover, in English, describing the use of gas in the attack.

The Assad regime has been accused on several occasions of using chemical weapons against its own people. The US and UK governments are among those making the allegations. Last month, Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague said that experts confirmed the use of Sarin gas after testing samples taken from Syria.

The revolution in Syria started peacefully in March 2011. Now in its third year, at least 90,000 people have been killed with an unknown number wounded. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been internally displaced or have sought refuge in neighbouring Jordan and Lebanon.

Hezbollah is fighting alongside the regime in Syria; its main backer, Iran, is also working hard to keep President Basher Al-Assad in power.