Over 1,200 people killed in suspected Syria nerve gas attack

Syrian volunteers are seen helping victims in a field hospital in the Ghouta suburb of Damascus Damascus – George Al Shami The Syrian government has denied charges that the army was behind a chemical weapons attack, in the capital Damascus that allegedly killed over a thousand civilians and left more than 5,000 others injured.
The state run SANA news agency said, "Reports on the use of chemical weapons in (the suburbs of) Ghouta are totally false."
It said "unfounded" reports from opposition activists have been broadcasted by Al-Jazeera, Sky and other satellite news channels, ”which are implicated in the shedding of Syrian blood and support terrorism."
According to a source, sarin gas was one of the components of the chemical strike, which they said was evident from the symptoms of victims.
Activists from the Syrian Revolution General Commission -a coalition of opposition groups said at least 1228 people, including women and children were killed in a nerve gas attack on Wednesday, by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, in the Ghouta region of Damascus, and wounded another 5000 people.
Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters said government forces fired rockets laden with chemical agents at the suburbs of Ain Tarma, Ain Terma, Herzeh, ?Doma, Harasta, Kaft Batna, Arbin, Zamalka and Jobar, killing hundreds of civilians.
In a conflicting report, Bayan Baker, a nurse at Douma Emergency Collection facility said the death toll from the attack presently stood at 213, based on data collated from different medical centers in the city.
Medical sources said treatment is at a minimum as the government forces continue to bombard the area.  Medics said hospitals were full of the injured from the attack, which included mostly women and children.  They said even medical staff were developing symptoms of exposure as a result of a shortage of gas masks.
Syrian activists published videos on the internet showing medical staff’s efforts to save the victims. A doctor in one of the videos blamed the siege imposed on the area by governmental troops during recent months for the failure to save many of those injured. He said he expected the number of deaths to climb noticeably in the coming hours.
Several activists told Arab today that the high number of casualties was caused by a lack of medical care.
The attack coincides with the United Nations chemical weapons inspections team who arrived in the country two days ago.  The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights initial reports said hundreds of people were killed during the fierce bombardment.  It said the town of Mouadamiya, southwest of the capital was hit the heaviest.
It called on the UN inspection team to visit the affected areas and to,” launch an investigation to determine who was responsible for the bombardment and hold them to account".
Meanwhile, on Tuesday the Syrian Local Coordination Committee LCC, which monitors events on the ground, registered a total of 83 deaths, which included four women and 8 children.  It reported seven people to have been tortured, without revealing further details.  It recorded 26 deaths in Damascus, 17 in Aleppo, 17 in Deraa, 10 in Idlib, four in Hama, four in Deir Ezzor, three in Homs, and two in Qunaitera.
The group counted 419 points of shelling in Syria, with military air forces bombings in 29 points, two ?ground-ground rockets targeted Zayeda Zeinab in the Damascus countryside, artillery shelling in 142 ?points, rocket shelling in 139 points and mortar shelling in 107 points
The FSA clashed with pro-government forces in 167 points.  In Damascus it took control over al Bahareya following violent ?clashes that lasted for several days.  In Al-Tadamon the opposition withstood an attempted invasion of the city, killing a number of fighters, and targeting governmental forces in ?Qaboun.?  In Berzeh, and in Darya rebel fighters said they killed a number of government militia.
Rebels targeted Kweres Military Airport in Aleppo with several missiles, ?while in Hama they took control of the villages in southern and northern ?Massoud and Messeda. The group claimed to have destroyed several checkpoints manned by governmental forces and took a number ?of hostages.?In Deraa Al Mahata it destroyed the Consumers' Corporation checkpoint and launched a raid on a sports hall in Basra, in Al Mahata, manned by government fighters.
The British watchdog said the military has launched seven air raids over the village of Madameyat al Sham, in Damascus, followed by heavy shelling, resulting in a number of deaths and injuries, some in critical condition.  The group said it had received of several deaths in Zamalka, as a result of toxic bombs being dropped by government aircraft, which also conducted raids in Kafr Barna.  Renewed clashed were witnessed in Aleppo, on midnight Tuesday in the Bustan al Pacha neighbourhood.
in Hammah two civilians were killed after regime forces stationed at the Sharia barrier mistook them for opposition fighters.  At the same time it was reported two young girls were killed following government shelling of Khalidiya village, in Al-Ghad.  Shelling was reported in Deir Ezzor , Homs and villages in Deraa, without any casualties.