Syria dismisses US, UK chemical weapons claims as lie

The 46-year-old, one of the European Union’s youngest prime ministers, is then expected to unveil his programme in a parliamentary session on Monday, before the government is put to a confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday.

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Smoke rising after heavy shelling in Houla in Syria's Homs province. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:41am, 28 Apr 2013Updated: 10:44am, 28 Apr 2013

Syria on Saturday dismissed as a “barefaced lie” US and British claims it may have used chemical weapons, as staunch ally Russia warned against using such fears to intervene militarily in the strife-torn country.

“First of all, I want to confirm that statements by the US secretary of state and British government are inconsistent with reality and a barefaced lie,” Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi said in an interview published on the Kremlin-funded Russia Today’s website.

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi. Photo: AP

“I want to stress one more time that Syria would never use it - not only because of its adherence to the international law and rules of leading war, but because of humanitarian and moral issues,” Zohbi said.

But the main opposition coalition challenged the denial and quoted rebels in Daraya near Damascus as saying missiles that “carried warheads containing toxic gases” were fired on Thursday and Friday at the town.

When they exploded, “they created a large gas cloud. The explosion led to 42 cases of choking accompanied by severe allergic reactions and severe vomiting,” a statement said.

The coalition urged an international investigation into the alleged attack.

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