U.S. monitoring reports of possible Syrian chemical weapon attack, blames Russia

The U.S. is monitoring reports of a possible chemical weapon attack in Syria and said Russia should be held responsible if the incident did involve deadly chemicals, the State Department said on Saturday.

The statement came after a Syrian rebel group accused government forces on Saturday of dropping a barrel bomb containing poisonous chemicals on civilians in eastern Ghouta.

“The regime’s history of using chemical weapons against its own people in not in dispute,” said the State Department. “Russia ultimately bears responsibility for the brutal targeting of countless Syrians with chemical weapons.”

REUTERS