Britain Reports New Suspected Syrian Chemical Attacks To UN

Britain's ambassador to the United Nations says Britain has written to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about "new incidents" of suspected chemical weapons attacks by Syrian government forces.

Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said on May 29 that the alleged attacks were in March and April.

Britain and France wrote to Ban earlier this year urging him to investigate three alleged chemical weapons attacks in the vicinities of Homs, Damascus, and Aleppo.

The United Nations has appointed a team of investigators, but they have not been allowed to enter Syria by President Bashar al-Assad.

If confirmed, the suspected chemical attacks would increase pressure on Western countries that support Syrian rebels to intervene in the civil war there.

The United Nations says the conflict, now in its thrid year, has claimed at least 80,000 lives.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP