Amnesty International says that testimony gathered from the scene showed evidence that on 4 February the Syrian government used internationally-banned chemical weapons on the town of Saraqib. It accuses the Assad regime of showing ‘utter contempt’ for international law. The next day the UN Security Council failed to agree on a US-proposed statement condemning the continued use of chemical weapons in Syria. Russia was blamed by some diplomats for this failure. On 6 February, another chemical attack is reported to have targeted Afrin. An eyewitness reported, ‘Russian airplanes have not left the skies of East Ghouta. I watched missiles that look like they were made locally, carrying chemicals targeting civilians specifically in Douma. The fear is difficult to comprehend. Women and children are running in chaos. Injured are everywhere with blood all over. It is a civilian massacre. The airplanes come back to target the rescuers attending the wounded.’