Trump warns of ‘ big price to pay’ for 80 deaths in Syria gas attack
◗ The regime and Russia both said reports of chemical weapons’ use are ‘ fabrications’
An alleged chemical attack that left over 80 dead in Syria’s rebel- held town of Douma sparked international outrage on Sunday, with US President Donald Trump warning there would be a “big price to pay”.
As international condemnation poured in, there were reports that just hours after the alleged attack, rebel forces had agreed to evacuate Douma, their last holdout in the onetime opposition stronghold. Mr Trump’s threat came exactly a year and a day after the US fired missiles at a Syrian base in retaliation for a deadly sarin gas attack in 2017. “Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria,” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter on Sunday, lashing out at Syrian President Bashar alAssad and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. “President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay,” he said. Asked whether the US could again respond with a missile strike, White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert told ABC television: “I wouldn’t take anything off the table.” The regime and Russia called reports of chemical weapons’ use as “fabrications”.
Beirut, April 8: Fresh air strikes hit rebel- held areas of Syria’s Eastern Ghouta on Sunday, a monitor said, after more than 80 people were killed in weekend raids including an alleged chemical attack denounced by the US.
Sunday’s strikes came despite reports of a ceasefire and the potential resumption of talks between Syria’s regime and Jaish al- Islam, the last rebel faction in Ghouta.
Allegations of a chlorine gas attack on Saturday were causing widespread international concern, but Syrian state media and regime ally Russia denounced the claims as “fabrications”.
Assad’s forces renewed their assault on Douma, the last rebel- controlled town in Eastern Ghouta, on Friday after talks over an evacuation of Jaish al- Islam fighters broke down. The regime has used a fierce military onslaught and two negotiated withdrawals to retake control of 95 percent of Eastern Ghouta, once the main rebel stronghold close to Damascus.
It appeared last week that Douma would follow suit, with the evacuation of hundreds of rebels and their families, but there were reports of divisions among the rebels with hardliners refusing to go.
At least 80 civilians have been killed since Friday after the regime launched fresh air raids, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain- based monitor. The Observatory also reported that dozens of people had suffered breathing problems following the attacks, but could not identify the cause.