Chemical weapons are being used in air strikes against Isis in Raqqa by one or more members of the international community, it has been reported.
Activists on the ground in the Isis stronghold in Syria have reported the use of the banned substance white phosphorus.
Known as WP, use of the highly flammable chemical is accepted under international law in order to light up the battlefield and provide cover for ground troops.
But it is banned for use in densely populated areas or when directly targeted at infantry because it is highly toxic and can burn through skin and bone.
Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, a network of citizen journalists which represents the primary source for information from inside the Isis-held city, said there were reports “that air strikes targeted Raqqa today (Sunday) with phosphorus” munitions.
It is thought to be the first reported use of white phosphorus in air strikes on Raqqa, which has been heavily bombed by the Russian and French air forces in the wake of the Paris attacks.
But it is not the first time Russia has been accused of using the banned munitions in its campaign against various rebel groups throughout Syria.
On 13 November, witnesses in the opposition-controlled city of Idlib in north-western Syria told The Times dozens of civilians had suffered “horrific injuries” following two attacks using WP.
Ahmed, an activist based in Idlib, told the newspaper: “We knew it was phosphorus because the entire sky lit up and when it settled it set everything on fire.”
Russian radio chatter between the pilots and their bases was intercepted by local activists, Ahmed claimed, proving that the Kremlin was involved.
He said the two villages targeted were full of civilians, and located at least 40 miles from the nearest militant positions. Video posted online purported to show the attacks.
Figures released by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggested on Sunday that Russian air strikes have killed at least 97 children, among 403 civilians.
Despite newfound collaboration between Russia and the West on Syria in the aftermath of the Paris shootings, US officials and experts have accused Vladimir Putin’s forces of lacking the sufficient accuracy and intelligence reports to carry out air strikes without undue danger to civilians.
