‘Gas attack’ in Syria kills 100

A suspected Syrian government chemical attack killed at least 100 people, including 11 children, in the northwestern province of Idlib on Tuesday, a monitor, medics and rescue workers in the rebel-held area said.

A Syrian military source strongly denied the army had used any such weapons.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack, believed to have been carried out by Syrian army jets, caused many people to choke, and some had foam coming out of their mouths.

The death toll is likely to rise, according to the Union of Medical Care Organizations, a coalition of international aid agencies that funds hospitals in Syria.

Warplanes later struck near a medical point where victims of the attack were receiving treatment, the Observatory and civil defence workers said.

The civil defence, also known as the White Helmets, said jets struck one of its centres in the area and the nearby medical point. It would mark the deadliest chemical attack in Syria since sarin gas killed hundreds of civilians in Ghouta near the capital in August 2013. Western states said the Syrian government was responsible for the 2013 attack Damascus blamed rebels.

France called for an emer gency UN Security Council meet ing about Tuesday’s attack. Tur key, which backs the anti-assad opposition, said the attack could derail Russian-backed diplo matic efforts towards a ceasefire

The conflict pits President Bashar al-assad’s government helped by Russia and Iranian backed militias, against a wide array of rebel groups, including those supported by Turkey, the US and Gulf monarchies.