Accessibility links

Breaking News

Russia Calls Watchdog Report On Sarin Gas Attack In Syria 'Doubtful' And 'Biased'


A man carries the body of a dead child after the sarin gas attack in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun
A man carries the body of a dead child after the sarin gas attack in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on June 30 that a report by the world's chemical weapons watchdog concluding that the banned nerve gas sarin was used in an April attack in Syria was based on "doubtful evidence" and politically "biased."

The attack on April 4 killed more than 90 people in the town of Khan Sheikhoun and prompted a U.S. missile strike against a Syrian air base which Washington said was used to launch the strike.

The Russian ministry the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons's conclusions on the incident "are based on extremely doubtful evidence."

"The contents of the report by the special mission of the OPCW are in many ways biased, which suggests that political motivation is present in the actions of this organization," it said.

The French Foreign Ministry, however, on June 30 called the report's findings "undisputable."

Russia and its ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad deny that his forces deployed chemical weapons in Khan Sheikhoun.

They say the attack was carried out by Assad's opponents, who, Russian officials alleged, made it look as though it was the work of government forces.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, TASS, and Reuters

XS
SM
MD
LG