At the few remaining hospitals in Aleppo, Syria on Tuesday, men in pink gowns and nearly naked children gasped into oxygen masks, their lungs desperate for air, eyes wide with confusion. This ghastly scene followed what aid groups and witnesses say was a chemical attack by the Syrian government in the rebel-held eastern half of the city.

While reports of the attack could not be independently verified by media outlets, a handful of aid groups and hospital workers in Aleppo said helicopters flew over Sukkari, an eastern suburb, and dropped barrels of chlorine. Upwards of 100 people–including dozens of children–were hospitalized for treatment. There have been two reported deaths, and though most of the victims were discharged after a few hours, at least ten remain in intensive care.

This represents the third instance in which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has dropped chlorine gas bombs on his own people. The previous two came in 2014 and 2015, a recent UN investigation concluded. All three incidents occurred after a U.S.-led 2013 deal that supposedly stripped the Syrian regime of its chemical arsenal. Chlorine was not included in the deal, however, because it is considered a dual-use chemical, as it has applications other than chemical weaponry.

The attack came while leaders of the various Syrian opposition groups met in London to discuss a political end to the five-year civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. The UN report, published in late August, also concluded that the Islamic State used chemical weapons–sulphur mustard gas–in Syria.

More than 120 people, including 10 women and 37 children, were sickened in a chlorine gas attack in Aleppo, Syria. pic.twitter.com/qgFaOBD1fl

— New York Times Video (@nytvideo) September 7, 2016

“There are more actors today in Syria with the availability of the substances and the ability to mix them and use them, if they so choose, as chemical weapons; and this is something very worrying,” said Virginia Gamba, head of the three-member UN Joint Investigative Mechanism that confirmed chemical weapons use in Syria.

First used on battlefields during World War I, chlorine can lead to shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing, skin, and eye irritation. In extremely high doses, chlorine can be fatal. The site of Assad’s latest chemical airdrop, Aleppo, has been torn apart in recent months, its citizens trapped between rebel and government-held areas. International aid groups are calling for humanitarian corridors for people to flee the city safely.

Meanwhile, while meeting in Hangzhou, China for the G-20 summit, President Obama and Vladimir Putin of Russia–a key ally of Assad–failed to reach a cease-fire agreement.

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Continuing protests over the death of Freddie Gray erupted into Ferguson-like riots yesterday evening following his funeral in Baltimore, Maryland, where cries of “black lives matter” have echoed since last year. But this time it was the city’s most notoriously violent groups who aligned for peace while groups of rioting Baltimoreans burned and looted the city against the Gray family’s wishes, even injuring officers and other protesters.

Incredibly powerful photos from the Baltimore riots http://t.co/Uex0La5QiY pic.twitter.com/x896Ubutme

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) April 28, 2015

Violent gang rivals the Crips and the Bloods–known for violent crime, drug dealing, and their murderous feud–issued a cease fire yesterday to form an unlikely alliance, condemning the violence that was sweeping through their community. According to CNN, Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton wrote on his confirmed Twitter account that he witnessed gang members’ disapproval, writing:

The guys who pulled me aside are self-identifying as Crips and say they don’t approve of whats happening. “This is our community” — Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) April 27, 2015

Gray sustained a deadly spinal cord injury sometime after being taken into police custody by Baltimore officers. An illegal switchblade knife was found on him after he reportedly “fled unprovoked.” Police have admitted that Gray should have received medical treatment immediately, but didn’t. Witnesses claim police had him “folded up like origami” on the street, but investigators are still in the process of recreating the events that led to Gray’s death.

According to CNN, members from both gangs joined community leaders and Gray’s family for a news conference Monday night on the stage at New Shiloh Baptist Church, which had held Gray’s funeral. At the news conference Reverend Jamal Bryant mentioned that the gangs had signed a peace treaty. Activists from the Nation of Islam claimed responsibility for the alliance, sharing approval for the demonstration of unity and telling reporters that they brokered a deal between the two enemies.

However, some members of the police force believe the gang partnership signaled ulterior motives. The Daily Beast is reporting that it obtained information from the Baltimore Police Department that  it had received a “credible threat” that gangs had formed the partnership “to take out law enforcement officers.”

While conflicting reports have the members being painted as either thugs or heroes, leaders from both gangs are currently reaching out to media outlets to share their reactions to the peace treaty and the riots. One photo has even surfaced showing several Crips members wearing blue bandannas over their faces posing next to a red-bandanna wearing Blood member while both groups throw up their respective gang signs.

It says a lot when things have gotten so bad in the city of Baltimore that rival gangs have allegedly laid down arms to support one another and their community. Additionally, many others have gotten involved in the calls for peace–including the creator of the violent Baltimore based gang drama “The Wire,” David Simon. Maryland’s Governor Larry Hogan has issued a state of emergency and a curfew has been issued in the city by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake in an effort to regain order in the city. But as the dust begins to settle in the streets of Baltimore, its citizens are left to clean up the wreckage.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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