Syrian rebels fire chemical weapons in Aleppo, killing 15 - state news agency

Syrian rebels have used rockets containing chemical substances in the conflict, killing 15 people, says a Syrian news agency. Reports say most of the casualties killed in the attack in the flashpoint city of Aleppo were civilians.

"Terrorists fired a rocket containing chemical substances in the Khan al-Assal area of rural Aleppo and initial reports indicate that around 15 people were killed, most of them civilians," SANA news agency said. This is the first time the Syrian government has accused opposition forces of using chemical weapons in the ongoing conflict.

Fears that Syria’s chemical weapons could fall into militant hands have been a source of constant concern for the international community over the past few months. The US and the UN have repeatedly warned President Bashar Assad’s government against deploying its own chemical arms stockpile.

Damascus maintains that it would never use such weapons against its own people, but would consider their deployment if threatened by outside forces.

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