Ankara: Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa met Saturday with survivors of a 2013 chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta by the Bashar al-Assad regime and vowed accountability for the massacre. 'These crimes will remain a witness to the suffering of the Syrians and their determination to attain freedom and dignity,' Sharaa was quoted by the Syrian Arab News Agency, or SANA, during the meeting.

According to Anadolu Agency, President Sharaa emphasized the importance of justice, stating, 'Bringing perpetrators to accountability and achieving justice is a right that does not expire with the passage of time.' The meeting coincided with rallies staged in various Syrian cities to mark the anniversary of the massacre, where demonstrators raised photos of the victims and demanded accountability.

The Ghouta attack, which occurred in the Damascus suburb, was one of the deadliest chemical strikes carried out by the Assad regime, resulting in more than 1,400 civilian deaths in a single night. The attack has remained a symbol of the brutal conflict that has plagued Syria for years.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the Assad regime has conducted 217 chemical attacks against opposition-held areas since the outbreak of anti-regime protests in 2011. The transitional administration, established after Assad's ouster in late 2024, is now focused on restoring stability across Syria after nearly 25 years of authoritarian rule.