Russia says Syrian rebels used chemical arms near Aleppo

Tue, Mar 19 10:12 AM EDT
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia accused  in an attack on Tuesday and said it was an extremely alarming and dangerous development.

"A case of the use of chemical weapons by the armed opposition was recorded early in the morning of March 19 in Aleppo province," the Russian Foreign Ministry said after President Bashar al-Assad's government and rebels accused each other of launching a deadly chemical attack.

"We are very seriously concerned by the fact that weapons of mass destruction are falling into the hands of the rebels, which further worsens the situation in Syria and elevates the confrontation in the country to a new level," the ministry said in a statement.

(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Steve Gutterman)