Syrian opposition sources claimed on Thursday that aircraft belonging to the Syrian Air Force have dropped toxic material into the province of Daraa, the Al-Jazeera network reported.

According to the report, the unidentified material smells like sulfur and causes drowsiness and unconsciousness.

No further information on these materials was provided, but the report also said that Assad’s forces had used unidentified gas shells on civilians in Daraa, Hama and Deir ez-Zor.

The fact that Syria has a stockpile of unconventional weapons, including chemical weapons, is well-known. The IDF’s Northern District Commander, Yair Golan, recently warned that the battle being in Syria between opponents of the Assad regime and Assad loyalists may have an effect on what is happening in Israel.

Golan pointed out that “Syria has weapons of mass destruction along with a very heavy arsenal of weapons, including surface-to-ground missiles and chemical weapons. The fact that Syria is a storehouse of weapons which fuels terrorists in the region is very unsettling.”

A senior Israeli military officer has said that the ongoing conflict in Syria has made it easier for Hizbullah to smuggle weapons into Lebanon. He added that there is concern that some of the Assad regime´s stockpile of chemical weapons could end up in the group´s hands.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has warned that sophisticated weapons could be transferred from Syria to Lebanon and to Hizbullah should Assad fall. (IsraelNationalNews © 2012 06/08/12)