Alleged Chemical Attack Khan Sheikhoun 4 April 2017

On April 4, 2017, reports emerged of an alleged Chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun, in Idlib province at the border to Hama province (wikimapia) - apparently on 3 April - claiming dozens killed, including several children. Victims were said to suffer fainting, foaming at the mouth, and eventual asphyxiation. (the symptoms described and shown aren't clearly those of sarin, but definitely not those of chlorine)

Within a day, the reported death toll was at least 70 people. This makes it at least the third deadliest alleged CW attack in Syria so far. It's reported the dead are all or mostly civilians, and include at least 43 children. The majority of photos show infants and youths, and a few adult males.

ACLOS analysis has begun, as usual working out initially on the discussion page.

Reactions

 * French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called for an UNSC emergency meeting.
 * Erdogan called Putin over the event, "said such inhumane attacks are unacceptable".
 * The Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement denying having conducted any strikes near the town.
 * Syrian Army sources told Al Masdar News that they have flown an attack with an SU-22 on a missile factory in Khan Sheikhoun, without using chemical weapons or knowing about any stocks in the targeted factory.
 * Syrian Deputy FM Mikdad told Syrian TV that they had a few weeks ago submitted data to the OPCW and the UN about transportation into Syria and storage of toxic substances by Nusra.
 * In a statement on the morning of April 5, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Konashenkov states that the Syrian attack "targeted a militant-held ammunition depot on the eastern outskirts of the city Khan Sheikhun. [...] Workshops for the production of land mines stuffed with poisonous substances were on the territory of this warehouse.”
 * John McCain on CNN
 * BBC and Hamish DeBretton Gordon try to dismiss Russian version of events
 * Kremlin spokesperson Peskov says that Russia will provide evidence for their version to the UNSC.
 * MSNBC decides to support ISIS. Interviews 4 warmongers pushing for Trump to attack Syria (Video)
 * CNN Anchor Speechless After Congressman Questions Syria Chemical Attack Story
 * In the night of April 6-7, US media reports that two US warships fired 50+ Tomahawk missiles at an airbase in south-eastern Homs province in retaliation for the alleged attack they say originated at that place.

Activist claims

 * Activists say gas attack kills civilians in Syria as EU leaders discuss reconstruction - Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, April 4, 2017
 * Syria conflict: 'Chemical attack' in Idlib kills dozens - BBC World News
 * Mark on Twitter

Photos

 * Dozens of dead and injured after poison gas attacks targeted «Khan Shaikhoun» Brive Idlib (Photos)
 * Reuters photos by Ammar Abdullah

Video

 * YouTube playlist - Petri Krohn
 * YouTube playlist - Brown Moses / Eliot Higgins‏

Other

 * Turkish Health Ministry says initial findings point to sarin gas in Syrian attack, Hürriyet, April 6, 2017

Analysis

 * Jumping to conclusions; something is not adding up in Idlib chemical weapons attack - Paul Antonopoulos, AMN, April 4, 2017
 * On Tuesday’s Massive Criminal Chemical Weapons Lies against Syria - Miri Wood, Syria news, April 5, 2017
 * Pünktlich zur geplanten Syrienkonferenz haben Terroristen in #Idlib horrende False-Flag-Attacken inszeniert, urs1798, April 5, 2017
 * This extensive, German language analysis deals mostly with the media productions and the producers, relying on long-term observation of the scene and actors in Idlib province. It finds that the "citizen journalists" presenting the videos of this event are the same that are frequently on scene, and in not so prominently distributed videos in arms with the leaders of the terrorist groups Jabhat al-Nusra/Jund al-Aqsa (aka al-Qaeda) who control the region.


 * Report: Soros-Linked Group Behind Chemical Attack in Syria - Mimi Al-Laham, Infowars, April 5, 2017
 * ''Chemical attack has all the hallmarks of a false flag
 * Another Dangerous Rush to Judgment in Syria - Robert Parry, April 5, 2017
 * Syria’s alleged gas attack: An imperialist provocation - Bill Van Auken, WSWS, April 6, 2017
 * How The Neocons Are Tempting Trump On Syria - Andrew Korybko, Geopolitica.ru, April 7, 2017
 * Rusvesna military source, 7 Apr. 2017: chemical munition will have just around 100-500 g of explosives, to release chemical without destroying it. This does not appear consistent with quite significant damage to the road at the alleged crater, or destruction of a house on other photos. Also it appears that all bomb fragments were removed. (Photos in the report).

Alleged bomb location

 * Christiaan Triebert on Twitter:
 * Pentagon's location of impact crater linked to the Khan Sheykhoun chemical attack is the same as the one geolocated by @Bellingcat.

Whora Hora
The ACLOS earth digging and cataloging commissary Petri Krohn has decided to name the White Helmets cave hospital and the likely al-Nusra Front command center centrally shown in activists videos and not unlikely geolocated to the right as Whora Hora, after bin Laden's more famous cave hideout and hospital.

Timing
According to US military, as reported by BBC, US military radar systems monitored Syrian Air Force fixed-wing aircraft take off Shayrat and fly over Khan Sheikhoun on two occasions - at 06:37 local time (03:37 GMT) and 06:46, 4 April, 2017 (Zulu=UTC, Charlie = UTC+3). Low-res map and Syrian planes flight path at those times was published by multiple media sources, quoting Pentagon (reproduced on this page).

Attacks on two prior days were also alleged. Rex W. Tillerson, Secretary of State:
 * ''As you’re well aware, Bashar al-Assad has carried out chemical attacks this past week on civilians, including women and children, and carried out attacks earlier this – last month, March 25th and 30th, in Hama province as well. We have a very high level of confidence that the attacks were carried out by aircraft under the direction of the Bashar al-Assad regime, and we also have very high confidence that the attacks involved the use of sarin nerve gas. At least the past three attacks, we have fairly high – we have high confidence on that.