World Bulletin / News Desk

The Syrian regime renewed its use of toxic chemicals in several barrel bomb attacks in the northwestern province of Idlib in the past two months, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.

The New York-based organization urged the UN Security Council to immediately create a mechanism to identify responsibility for the use of such illegal weapons.

“While Security Council members deliberate over next steps at a snail’s pace, toxic chemicals are raining down on civilians in Syria,” said Philippe Bolopion, UN and crisis advocacy director for the group.

“The Security Council should firmly establish responsibility and impose sanctions for these attacks, which defy its resolution and violate international law,” he added.

The 15-member Council is scheduled to meet behind closed doors Wednesday for its regular monthly briefing on chemical weapons in Syria.

The rights group said it conducted inquiries with experts, rescue workers and doctors about three separate attacks in May in Idlib, which indicated the use of chlorine by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime forces that resulted in two deaths and 127 injuries.

Two doctors who treated victims in the May attacks also provided the group with data they collected from medical centers in Idlib on 21 additional attacks between March 16 and May 19 that resulted in symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals.

They reported that the 24 attacks during this period killed at least nine people and affected more than 520 others with symptoms consistent with exposure to chlorine, the group said.

"Human Rights Watch has not yet been able to investigate the additional reported attacks," it added.

The use of chlorine as a weapon in Syria has been previously documented.