Syria’s state-run news agency said 25 people have been killed in an alleged rebel chemical attack in northern Syria, while the rebels blamed the government for the attack.
The Syrian official news agency, SANA, said terrorists fired a rocket containing chemical substances in the Khan al-Assal area of rural Aleppo and initial reports indicate that about 15 people were killed, most of them civilians. The death toll was later increased to 25.
Residents displayed signs of a chemical attack, including difficulty breathing, the Telegraph reported.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday that the U.S. is looking carefully at allegations that both sides are using chemical weapons, but there is no evidence that Syrian rebels used such weapons and he is skeptical of any claims made by the Syrian regime.
Carney says it’s a serious concern for the U.S. that the Assad regime could use such weapons. The White House has said previously if chemical weapons were used it would change the Obama administration’s approach in Syria.
The international community has called the use of chemical weapons in Syria a “red line” that could ratchet up response.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
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• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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