syria-un-20171026 16

S/2017/904 16/33 17-18978 Date and time 6. The incident leading to the exposure of the victims to sulfur mustard has been determined to have occurred at a house in Umm Hawsh at approximately 1500 to 1600 hours on Thursday, 15 September 2016. The Mechanism based that finding on the following: medical records indicating that the victims had been admitted to Afrin Hospital on 16 September 2016, approximately 23 hours after their exposure to the chemical agent; witness interviews; and the assessment of medical experts that the blisters of the victims would have been at least 12 hours old at the time of their initial hospitalization. 7. The Mechanism found that the following day, Friday, 16 September, a mortar shell had been lodged in a pavement in the village at approximately 1315 to 1500 hours. That assessment is based on verified media footage, witness statements and analysis of satellite imagery. Impact location 8. The Mechanism determined the location of the house1 struck by a mortar shell through a variety of means. One of the victims, who lived in the house, identified the location on the basis of photographs presented during an interview with the Mechanism. The photographs included images of the house, the street and the village. Moreover, the information regarding the location of the house was corroborated through forensic analysis, the statements of several other witnesses, a review of satellite imagery and the findings of the Fact-Finding Mission. The identification of the location was also supported by original videos provided to the Mechanism showing damage to the house. 9. The mortar shell in the pavement was determined to be located at approximately 36°24′43.29″N, 37°12′31.16″E. The identification of the location was based on forensic analysis of video footage taken by news crews who filmed the munition still protruding from the pavement. The finding regarding the location of the mortar shell in the pavement was corroborated through analysis of satellite imagery, the statements of three witnesses and the findings of the Fact-Finding Mission and the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence team of the Russian Federation. Munition analysis 10. Several witnesses interviewed by the Mechanism confirmed that a mortar shell or a munition had hit the house of one of the two victims. The mortar shell had not been recovered, as the owner of the house had thrown it away sometime after the incident. However, a news crew had photographed a damaged mortar shell the following day and provided images to the Mechanism. The owner of the house identified the mortar shell from photographs taken by the news crew. A forensic institute and an expert engaged by the Mechanism who specializes in energetic materials stated that the mortar shell that had hit the house was very likely the same type as the mortar shell found in the pavement. A defence research institute, a forensic institute and an expert consultant, all engaged by the Mechanism, observed that the mortar shell recovered from the pavement was of poor production quality. After the munition had hit the house, five witnesses described qualities, such as smell, indicating that the mortar shell contained sulfur mustard. __________________ 1 While the Mechanism obtained the geographical coordinates of the house damaged by the mortar, its location is not included in the present report as a result of concern for the safety and security of the victims