In the early morning hours of August 21, 2013, rockets carrying sarin gas struck the Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta and Moadamiya, killing at least 1,500 people in what became the deadliest attack of Syria’s civil war, according to a report by The New York Times.
The assault began around 2 a.m., during a hot, still night. Survivors and rescue workers described the scenes as apocalyptic, with bodies piling up in the streets and homes.
The use of sarin, a chemical weapon banned under international law, crossed what then-US President Barack Obama had labeled a "red line." Yet despite the scale of the attack, no military or legal action was taken against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the time. Assad has since denied responsibility, though military insiders say the orders came directly from him and that the sarin was supplied by Russia and assembled with Iranian assistance, The New York Times reported.
Former Syrian Brigadier General Zaher al-Saket, who defected after refusing to use chemical weapons, told The New York Times that Assad aimed to instill terror and consolidate power during a moment when rebel forces had gained ground. Survivors and witnesses have since described the attack as both a massacre and a warning to the opposition and broader population.
In the suburb of Moadamiya, four more rockets hit hours after the first wave. Mohanad al-Khattib, a dentist who rushed to help, recalled the streets lined with dead birds and hospitals overwhelmed with the sick and dying. With no oxygen or proper medical supplies, volunteers reused needles and resorted to hand pumps to keep patients alive.
Rescue workers, many untrained in handling chemical attacks, used vinegar-soaked towels in desperation. Some were temporarily blinded; others lost family members even as they tried to save others. One rescuer, Akram al-Baladi, described his cousin, wife, and children collapsing as they tried to flee. They all died before reaching safety.
The testimony of Ghouta survivors
Former residents returning to eastern Ghouta have found ruins and mass graves, The New York Times reported. Children now play among the rubble of destroyed buildings.
While Assad has since taken refuge in Russia after being overthrown by Ahmed al-Sharaa in December 2024, a war crimes case is being prepared against him. However, according to the mentioned report, legal experts and survivors doubt he will ever face justice, citing Russian protection and the lack of international enforcement.
Rescuers like Hani al-Malla continue to suffer from health effects such as poor eyesight and persistent chest pain. Civilians like Yasser Muhammad al-Suleiman lost family members and endured the trauma of watching neighbors and animals perish within moments of the gas spreading.
The New York Times reported that one rebel fighter, Seif Alddin al-Dahla, explained in an interview, “The regime could not defeat us. So they showed their strength against women and children.” He survived the sarin attack because he was stationed at the front lines that night.
His family wasn’t as fortunate- his parents, brother, and three sisters were all killed in their home.