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US President Donald Trump warned on Sunday there would be a "big price to pay" following allegations of a chemical attack in Syria's rebel-held town of Douma that left dozens dead.
Blaming Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government for the attack, Trump tweeted: "Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria … President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay."
The Syrian government strongly denied it had used chemical weapons when bombing the frontlines of the Islam Army in Douma on Saturday.
Douma is the last remaining opposition-held town in Eastern Ghouta, the former rebel bastion outside Damascus that has now been largely captured by the Syrian army.
A fresh evacuation agreement was reached between the government and the rebels on Sunday, under which the besieged rebels began releasing hostages and leaving Douma.
US strikes on Syrian air base?
Trump's threat came a year and a day after the US fired cruise missiles at a Syrian air base in retaliation for a suspected sarin gas attack in 2017.
Asked whether the US could again respond with a missile strike, White House Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert told ABC television: "I wouldn't take anything off the table."
Affected Syrian kids receive medical treatment after a suspected gas attack in Douma, Eastern Ghouta, April 7. 2018.
On Monday, the Syrian state television said loud explosions were heard near the T-4 airfield in Homs in the early hours of the day, which was believed to have been targeted in a suspected US missile strike. But the US denied having bombed the air base.
"At this time, the Department of Defense is not conducting air strikes in Syria," a Pentagon spokesman said. "However, we continue to closely watch the situation and support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable."
UN Security Council to discuss the attack?
According to Reuters, the assessment by US authorities shows that chemical weapons were used in the Douma attack, but it stopped short of assigning blame, US government sources said on Sunday.
Nevertheless, many Western countries and their allies said the Syrian government was probably behind the attack.
The European Union said "the evidence points towards yet another chemical attack by the regime," while opposition ally Turkey stated it had a "strong suspicion" Assad was to blame.
Smoke billows in the town of Douma, the last opposition holdout in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, April 7, 2018, after government troops resumed a military blitz to pressure rebels to withdraw.
France, which has repeatedly said evidence of chemical use in Syria could prompt military action, called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting on Monday.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the Western accusations a provocation and warned against them being used to justify military action.
"A military intervention under far-fetched and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where there are Russian soldiers at the request of the legitimate Syrian government, is absolutely unacceptable and could have the most dire consequences," it said.
Russia asked for a separate Security Council meeting to discuss global threats to peace.
Iran also came to Assad's defense, saying the allegations were a Western conspiracy and echoing Russia's warning against foreign military action.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (L), Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C), and Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) give a joint news conference following their trilateral talks to discuss prospects for Syrian peace process in Ankara, Turkey, April 4, 2018.
Damascus slams 'premeditated allegations'
The Syrian Foreign Ministry described the rebels' claims of chemical weapons use by the Syrian army as "premeditated pretexts", according to state news agency SANA.
The ministry said the allegations have been planned beforehand to prolong the lives of the "terrorists" in Douma.
SANA also reported that the rebels and their families had exited Douma and would head north to opposition-held territory after the new evacuation deal was stricken.
Meanwhile, the first bus transporting the released people from the rebels' captivity reached the Syrian army position near Damascus on Sunday, state TV reported.
The release of kidnapped people from Douma is the priority of the deal.
A live coverage showed the civilians in the first bus to reach the Wafideen area with Syrian soldiers chanting and celebrating their release.
"With soul and blood, we sacrifice for you Bashar," the soldiers chanted for their president.
It was the first batch of thousands of kidnapped people to be released from Douma as thousands more are expected in other batches.
Most of those civilians have been kidnapped when the rebels stormed the Adra Omaliyeh town near Damascus in 2013.
(AFP&REUTERS&CGTN)
