Surviving Chemical Chaos: A Syrian Family's Harrowing Tale

A Syrian family recounts their traumatic survival of a 2013 chemical weapons attack in Damascus, allegedly executed by Assad's forces. Despite escaping death, the attack's horrors linger in their minds. As Syria undergoes a political shift, they hope for justice for victims of such atrocities.

A Syrian family that survived a deadly 2013 chemical weapons attack near Damascus continues to grapple with the memories of that horrific night, marking one of the darkest times in Syria's civil war. The Arbeeni family locked themselves in a windowless room to escape the deadly sarin gas, which claimed the lives of scores of their neighbors.

The harrowing attack, for which Assad's government was blamed, saw surface-to-surface missiles releasing toxic sarin gas instead of exploding. "It was a horrifying night," recalled Hussein Arbeeni, as he described their desperate efforts to seal off the gas.

As Syria now faces a turbulent political transformation with the ousting of Assad, there is a renewed call for accountability and justice for the victims affected by these assaults. The Syrian opposition's new leaders express intent to prosecute accountable officials.

(With inputs from agencies.)