Infant dies after tear gas exposure in Aleppo clashes
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A human rights organization in Afrin reported on Tuesday that an infant died days after being exposed to tear gas during recent clashes in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods.
The organization said the child, identified as eight-month-old Mohammed Abdulrahman Barakat, passed away while his family was fleeing Aleppo toward Hasakah. The infant’s health had deteriorated earlier after inhaling tear gas inside a hospital in Sheikh Maqsoud, where residents had sought shelter from shelling.
Last week, the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh witnessed heavy clashes between government forces and the local Asayish security units. The violence resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, according to local reports.
In a statement posted online, the Afrin Human Rights Organization said, “Due to indiscriminate shelling on Sheikh Maqsoud, particularly around Khalid al-Fajr Hospital, many residents sought refuge inside the hospital fearing bombardment.”
The group added that the hospital itself came under attack, not only from shelling but also from tear gas. “This led to a deterioration in the health of many residents inside, especially children and asthma patients,” the statement noted.
According to the organization, the infant’s death on Tuesday morning was linked to multiple factors: the cold weather during the family’s displacement journey, prolonged waiting at checkpoints, and his earlier exposure to tear gas inside the hospital. The child was buried in Hasakah later the same day.