(MENAFN) Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa held a meeting Saturday with survivors of the 2013 chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta, a brutal strike by the Bashar al-Assad regime, and promised that those responsible will be held accountable.

“These crimes will remain a witness to the suffering of the Syrians and their determination to attain freedom and dignity,” Sharaa told the group, as reported by media.

He stressed the importance of justice, saying, “Bringing perpetrators to accountability and achieving justice is a right that does not expire with the passage of time.”

Commemorations took place across Syrian cities marking the attack’s anniversary, with crowds holding up photos of the victims and calling for accountability.

The Ghouta chemical assault, executed in a Damascus suburb, stands as one of the deadliest strikes by the Assad regime, killing over 1,400 civilians in a single night.

Data from the Syrian Network for Human Rights reveals that since the 2011 anti-regime protests began, Assad’s forces have launched 217 chemical attacks on opposition-controlled zones.

Following Assad’s removal in late 2024, Syria’s transitional government is focused on restoring stability across the nation after nearly 25 years under authoritarian rule.

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