A family of four has been treated for chemical exposure in Syria. The two children were aged three and a mere five days. Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has confirmed that four people from the same family were treated, including a five-day-old girl and her three-year-old sister.
The family arrived in hospital an Aleppone an hour after the attack suffering from respiratory difficulties, inflamed skin, red eyes and conjunctivitis. They are being treated for symptoms of exposure to chemical agents. Within three hours they developed blisters and their respiratory difficulties worsened.
According to MSF, the family came from the town of Marea, in Azaz district, north of Aleppo, which had been under intense bombardment by mortars and artillery for a week. A mortar shell hit their home at about 7.30pm on 21 August.
It has been reported that opposition rebels and local residents have accused Islamic State militants of carrying out the attack.