A decade after a sarin gas attack in a Damascus suburb, Syrian survivors lose hope for justice
A decade after a sarin gas attack killed hundreds and left thousands hurt in a Syrian suburb near the capital of Damascus, survivors say there has been no accountability for that attack or for other atrocities committed during the country's brutal conflict
AFRIN, Syria (AP) — One summer night a decade ago, the al-Shami family was woken up by a roaring sound or rockets but it wasn't followed by the usual explosions. Instead, the family members started having difficulty breathing.
Ghiad al-Shami, 26, remembers how everyone tried to run to the rooftop of their apartment building in eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb that at the time was held by opposition fighters trying to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Al-Shami's mother, three sisters and two brothers died that night — victims of the Aug. 21, 2013 sarin gas attack that killed hundreds and left thousands of others hurt.
Ten years on, al-Shami and other survivors say there has been no accountability for the attack and for the other atrocities committed in Syria during the country's brutal civil war, now in its 13th year.
