The US State Department on Tuesday said it continues “to see signs” that the army of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “may be renewing its use of chemical weapons.” A department spokeswoman mentioned one incident in particular, namely “an alleged chlorine attack in northwest Syria on the morning of May 19.”
While the US government is still investigating that incident, it warned Assad that the use of chemical weapons by his regime will result in a ‘quick’ and ‘appropriate’ response from the US and its allies. The State Department spokeswoman said the incident was part of the Syrian army’s campaign to retake Idlib, the last stronghold of Syrian opposition forces. She stressed that “the regime’s attacks against the communities of northwest Syria must end,” and warned that “an attack against the Idlib de-escalation zone would be a reckless escalation that threatens to destabilize the region.”
Read more: US says signs Syria may be using chemical weapons, warns of quick response
