Syrian government claims rebels launched chemical weapon attack
Source: Agencies |
March 20, 2013, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SYRIA'S government accused rebels of firing a chemical weapon yesterday for the first time in the two-year-old civil war, calling it the "first act" of a newly announced opposition interim government.
Rebels quickly denied the report and accused regime forces of firing the chemical weapon. Neither of the accusations could be verified.
If confirmed, it would be the first known use of chemical weapons in the civil war and a glimpse of one of the nightmare scenarios for this conflict.
The Obama administration has no evidence to back up a claim by Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime that the US-backed Syrian rebels used chemical weapons, the White House said.
A US official went further and said there was no evidence either side had used such weapons in an attack in northern Syria, disputing a competing claim by rebels that it was regime forces who fired the chemical weapon.
One of the international community's top concerns since fighting began is that Syria's vast arsenal of chemical weapons could be used by one side or the other or could fall into the hands of foreign jihadist fighters among the rebels.
The Syrian government said at least 31 people were killed and more than 100 wounded, some in critical condition, in the missile attack on the village of Khan al-Assal near the city of Aleppo.
State-run news agency SANA published pictures showing casualties, including children, on stretchers in what appears to be a hospital ward. None showed signs of physical injuries.
The accusations emerged only a few hours after the opposition to President Bashar Assad elected a prime minister to head an interim government that would rule areas seized by rebel forces from the regime.
Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi called it the "first act" of the newly announced opposition interim government.
Rebels quickly denied the report and accused regime forces of firing the chemical weapon.
The head of Syria's main opposition group, the Syrian National Council, said the group was still investigating the alleged chemical attack near Aleppo.
"Everyone who used it, we are against him, whatever he is," Mouaz al-Khatib, President of the National Coalition for Opposition Forces, said in English in Istanbul. "We are against killing civilians using chemical weapons, but let us wait some time to have accurate information."
Rebels quickly denied the report and accused regime forces of firing the chemical weapon. Neither of the accusations could be verified.
If confirmed, it would be the first known use of chemical weapons in the civil war and a glimpse of one of the nightmare scenarios for this conflict.
The Obama administration has no evidence to back up a claim by Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime that the US-backed Syrian rebels used chemical weapons, the White House said.
A US official went further and said there was no evidence either side had used such weapons in an attack in northern Syria, disputing a competing claim by rebels that it was regime forces who fired the chemical weapon.
One of the international community's top concerns since fighting began is that Syria's vast arsenal of chemical weapons could be used by one side or the other or could fall into the hands of foreign jihadist fighters among the rebels.
The Syrian government said at least 31 people were killed and more than 100 wounded, some in critical condition, in the missile attack on the village of Khan al-Assal near the city of Aleppo.
State-run news agency SANA published pictures showing casualties, including children, on stretchers in what appears to be a hospital ward. None showed signs of physical injuries.
The accusations emerged only a few hours after the opposition to President Bashar Assad elected a prime minister to head an interim government that would rule areas seized by rebel forces from the regime.
Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi called it the "first act" of the newly announced opposition interim government.
Rebels quickly denied the report and accused regime forces of firing the chemical weapon.
The head of Syria's main opposition group, the Syrian National Council, said the group was still investigating the alleged chemical attack near Aleppo.
"Everyone who used it, we are against him, whatever he is," Mouaz al-Khatib, President of the National Coalition for Opposition Forces, said in English in Istanbul. "We are against killing civilians using chemical weapons, but let us wait some time to have accurate information."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
