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Syria: Death Toll from Suspected Assad Gas Attack Rises to 72

HeadlineApr 05, 2017

In Syria, the death toll has risen from a suspected chemical weapons attack in the northern province of Idlib. At least 72 people have died, including 20 children. Hundreds more were wounded. It’s been described as the largest chemical attack in Syria since 2013. The United States, France and Britain have accused the Syrian government of carrying out the attack and have proposed a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning it. Russia is claiming the gases were released after an airstrike hit a depot where rebels were making chemical weapons. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the chemical attack will not change the United States’ new position that the U.S. priority is not to get Assad out of power.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer: “Today’s chemical attack in Syria against innocent people, including women and children, is reprehensible and cannot be ignored by the civilized world. There is not a fundamental option of regime change as there has been in the past. I think we would look like, to some degree, rather silly not acknowledging the—the political realities that exist in Syria and that what we need to do is fundamentally do what we can to empower the people of Syria to—to find a different way.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to carry out airstrikes in Syria as part of its fight against ISIS. The journalistic monitoring group Airwars says there are reports the U.S.-led coalition carried out at least four separate airstrikes Tuesday around the Syrian city of Raqqa, which is controlled by ISIS. Citing local news sources, Airwars says these airstrikes may have killed as many as 11 civilians. We’ll have more on Syria after headlines.

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