Where Chlorine Attacks Have Hit Syria Hardest

A new study by the Global Public Policy Institute has documented 336 confirmed chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Authors Tobias Schneider and Theresa Lütkefend state that it's a number higher than previously known and they "suspect the real number could still be significantly higher". The analysis attributes 98 percent of all chemical attacks in Syria to the government with the remaining two percent carried out by ISIS.

Chlorine was used in the vast majority of incidents, 89 percent, with deadly Sarin identified in seven percent of attacks. In August 2013, a sarin attack near Damascus killed over 1,400 people. Chlorine has been used more often because it's a non-controlled substance with legitimate and important civilian applications like water purification. It is also easy to obtain in significant quantities and can be weaponized without extensive knowledge or expertise.

Even though chlorine is far less lethal than nerve agents like sarin, it can still have a direct physical and psychological impact. Jobar has suffered the highest number of chlorine attacks, 32, with 10 deaths recorded and 363 injuries. Kafr Zita has suffered 17 attacks that have caused eight deaths and 736 injuries.