Syria gas attack draws international condemnation

Shocking images of children being gassed in Syria were beamed around the world, sending mass waves of condemnation from international leaders.

The Syrian government came under intense pressure after accusations the regime had used chemical weapons against its own people as part of a fierce civil war.

Pictures of lifeless children were released by activists to demonstrate what was happening in the country.

The images came as over 100 people were killed in a rebel-held area of Damascus, with claims by the country's opposition that chemical weapons were used in the area.

It had been reported at least 1300 people had been killed with toxic gas by the Syrian regime.

The Syrian government denied any involvement, and while the United Nations was able to confirm that sarin gas had been used, it did not blame any particular group.

How did it come to this?

It was the escalation of a civil war that had been raging in the country since March 2011.

Small bands of protesters began pushing against the government as part of the Arab Spring, and the human rights abuses and corruption that rocked the country.

Rebels had demanded that the Ba’ath government be removed and president Bashar al-Assad to resign from his post.

Initially, the Syrian army tried to quell the uprising, with protesters being shot at as early as April 2011. There were also mass arrests and citizens were reportedly tortured by the regime.

This caused those who opposed the regime to band together into a military unit and there have been skirmishes across the country.

It is believed that at least 120,000 people have been killed in the uprising so far.

International response

The UN said in a report that it had “collected clear and convincing evidence that surface-to-surface rockets containing the nerve agent sarin were used in the Ein Tarma, Moadamiyah and Zalmalka in the Ghouta area of Damascus.”

"The conclusion is that chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic ... against civilians, including children, on a relatively large scale,'' the report said.

Others claimed that the chemical used was military grade sarin, and had most likely come from a Syrian-controlled military complex.

In the midst of an election, former prime minister Kevin Rudd suspended his campaign to respond to the crisis.

"The use of weapons of mass destruction in any circumstances is intolerable and unacceptable in any civilised nation," Mr Rudd said.

"When weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, are used against civilian targets it is repugnant."

The US and France mooted possible retaliation attacks on military targets in Syria, a move that was rejected by British MPs.

However, with pressure being placed on the Assad regime, an agreement was announced for Syria to give up all the chemical weapons in its possession.

The civil war continues in Syria, with no immediate end to the crisis in sight.