The US and Russia have traded barbs at a UN Security Council meeting on the alleged chemical attack in Syria.
Russian representative Vassily Nebenzia said the incident in Douma was staged and that US military action in response could have “grave repercussions”.
US envoy Nikki Haley said Russia – a Syrian military backer – had the “blood of Syrian children” on its hands.
Earlier, the UN human rights chief said world powers were treating chemical weapons use with a “collective shrug”.
US President Donald Trump pledged later on Monday that the incident would “be met forcefully”, adding that the US had a lot of military options and a decision on a response would be taken “tonight” or “shortly”.
Calling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a “monster”, Ms Haley said that if the UN Security Council acts or not, “either way, the United States will respond”.
“Meetings are ongoing, important decisions are being weighed even as we speak,” she said.
Washington has not ruled out military strikes. In April last year, the US fired cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase after a Sarin nerve agent attack on the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun killed more than 80 people. International investigators held the Syrian government responsible.
The Syrian-American Medical Society said more than 500 people were brought to medical centres in Douma, in the Eastern Ghouta region, near the capital Damascus, with symptoms “indicative of exposure to a chemical agent”.
It said this included breathing difficulties, bluish skin, mouth foaming, corneal burns and “the emission of chlorine-like odour”.
Neither the death toll nor what exactly occurred can be verified as the area is blocked off with access denied.
Source-BBC
