Islamist militants used, yesterday, toxic gas to halt the Syrian Army’s advance in in the Eastern Ghouta after days-long battles whereby the government troops managed to reclaim territories from rebel groups.

A military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told an Al-Masdar News reporter in Damascus that rebels bombed government troops with homegrown shells filled with nerve gas.

“Several soldiers suffered breathing difficulties after the attack and were immediately taken to a military hospital. Thankfully, all of them are now in stable conditions”, the source added.

Both the Syrian government and opposition armed groups exchanged accusations about the 2013 Ghouta Chemical Attack where at least 280 people have been killed, thousands others injured.

In the same year, dozens of government troops were killed in a suspected attack with Sarin gas in Khan al-Assal, nearly 14 km to the west of the northern city of Aleppo.