UNSC to Meet on Syria ’Chemical’ Attack

Local Editor

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss a suspected chemical attack in Syria that has left dozens dead, the US ambassador said.

Britain and France called for the urgent meeting following reports of the strike on a militant-held town in northwestern Idlib province early on Tuesday.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley, who holds the council presidency this month, announced the meeting at 10 am [1400 GMT] on Wednesday to discuss the "terrible chemical weapons attack in Syria."

"We are hoping to get as much information on the Syrian attack as we can," she said.

In Washington, the White House condemned what it called a "reprehensible" and "intolerable" chemical attack in Syria Tuesday and pinned the blame squarely on Bashar al-Assad's government.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said an "extremely alarmed" President Donald Trump had been briefed extensively on the attack, and suggested it was in the "best interest" of the Syrians for Assad not to lead the country.

The attack on the town of Khan Shaykhun killed at least 58 civilians and saw dozens suffering respiratory problems and symptoms including vomiting, fainting and foaming at the mouth, according to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team