France and UK attack Kremlin’s Syria ‘stunt’

Britain and France have angrily accused Russia of a “despicable” stunt after Moscow brought a series of alleged witnesses to what it claims was a “staged” Syrian gas attack before the international chemical weapons watchdog.

Russian and Syrian officials held a briefing at The Hague headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons where they produced a number of Syrians who, they said, appeared in a video of the suspected attack on the rebel-held town of Douma on 7 April.

The Kremlin claims the incident – which led the US, Britain and France to launch punitive missile strikes against a series of Syria regime targets – was faked by the White Helmets search and rescue group.

Britain has said up to 75 people died in the incident.