Damascus slams French report of alleged chemical attack in Syria

Syria's Foreign Ministry on Thursday slammed what it called "fabricated allegations" by the French government over a report in which France said the Syrian forces were behind a chemical attack early this month on a rebel-held town.

In a statement, the ministry slammed the French report as "mere allegations" and "lies" aiming to hide the truth of who was really behind the "crime."

Earlier in April, the Western powers accused the Syrian army of carrying out a toxic attack against the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib Province in northwestern Syria.

The alleged attack claimed the lives of more than 70 people.

The Syrian government repeatedly denied having any sort of chemical weapons following the 2013 deal with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

But on Wednesday, France said its intelligence proved that the Syrian government forces were behind the chemical attack.

"The Western countries have always mastered the lies and deceptions to implement their policies," the ministry said.

It said the French government doesn't possess the legal speciality to determine what happened in Khan Sheikhoun.

"The Syrian Arab Republic denounces this misleading campaign, which proves France's full partnership in the aggression against Syria," the ministry said. Endit