Russia and Syria blame rebels for gas attack that injured dozens in Aleppo

Russia and Syrian state media have accused Syrian rebel fighters of responsibility for a gas attack that reportedly injured about 100 people in the city of Aleppo late Saturday. Rebel leaders denied the accusation, alleging the Bashar al-Assad regime is attempting to undercut ceasefire efforts, but Russia said Sunday it had retaliated with airstrikes.

Zaher Batal of the Aleppo Doctors Syndicate told Reuters gas attack victims, children among them, experienced symptoms including constrained breathing and eye inflammation. "We cannot know the kinds of gases but we suspected chlorine and treated patients on this basis because of the symptoms," he said.

This is the first gas attack on civilians in Aleppo, though chemical weapons have repeatedly been used elsewhere in Syria's grim civil war.

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