Syrian Commander: Terrorists Using Chemical Weapons in Hama Battles

Fars News Agency | Apr 16, 2017

TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior commander of Syria's Baath battalions revealed that the terrorist groups have used chemical weapons against the army in Hama, noting that the ISIL and al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) launch gas attacks against the government forces whenever they are losing their ground.

"After liberation and cleansing operations in the village of al-Majdal in Hama province, we witnessed use of chemical weapons by the terrorists," Mohannad al-Haj Ali, also a member of the Syrian parliament, said on Sunday.

Stressing that Jeish al-Izza terrorist group has used chemical weapons, including the use of chlorine gas, he said, "Most members of the group are foreigners and since they have more knowledge about such weapons compared with other groups, they have been supplied with them."

Expressing regret that this is not the first time such dangerous weapons are being used by Jeish al-Izza terrorist group, al-Haj Ali said that the current battles in Hama are aimed at making the army busy and deviate its focus from the battles in Aleppo and Homs.

In a relevant development today, the Syrian Army's artillery and missile units along with the country's warplanes targeted the defense lines and movements of Al-Nusra Front in six different regions in Northern Hama, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

The artillery and missile units opened heavy fire at the strongholds of Al-Nusra in the towns of Souran, Taybat al-Imam, Atshan, Tal (hill) Bazam and Tal Skeik in Northern Hama, killing or wounding a number of terrorists and destroying their military vehicles and equipment.

In the meantime, the army aircraft carried out several combat flights over the Al-Nusra positions in al-Latamina, Taybat al-Imam, and areas near Souran in Northern Hama, killing a number of terrorists.

Relevant reports said on Saturday that the Russian fighter jets launched massive air raids on terrorists' positions and gathering centers in Northwestern Hama, inflicting major losses on the militants.