Turkey: Tests confirm sarin use in Idlib attack

Tests on victims of a suspected chemical attack in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province confirmed the use of sarin gas, the Anadolu Agency quoted Turkey’s health minister Recep Akdag saying today.

Both Washington and Ankara blame the Syrian government for the poison gas attack which killed nearly 100 people including children, but Damascus has denied responsibility. The United States launched missile strikes last week against a Syrian government air base in response.

Read: Turkey opens borders to aid Syrian victims of chemical gas attack

Akdag was quoted as saying that isopropyl methylphosphonic acid “has been identified in the blood and urine tests conducted on samples taken from the victims exposed to chemical warfare in Idlib”. The acid is formed from the degraded by-product of sarin reacting with other compounds.

Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella today urged Russia to use its influence with Syria to thwart any more chemical weapons attacks there.”We call on everyone, Moscow like everyone, to use their influence to avoid that such attacks are repeated,” Mattarella said at a news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.