Syrian group says Ghouta massacre 'will not be erased'

The Syrian Foreign Ministry marked the 12th anniversary Thursday of a chemical attack on Eastern Ghouta, stressing that the massacre "will never be erased from memory" and remains a priority until justice is achieved and perpetrators held accountable.

The ministry said more than 1,400 people, including 200 children and women, were killed in the Aug. 21, 2013, attack, and it described chemical weapons use as a "war crime that cannot be forgotten."

The attack in the Damascus suburb was among the deadliest chemical strikes carried out by the Bashar al-Assad regime.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said the regime carried out 217 chemical attacks against opposition-held areas since the outbreak of anti-regime protests in 2011.

Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

A new transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January.