The US conclusion on the alleged chemical attack in Syria was based on media sources and ‘reliable information’, the White House said in a statement after US, Great Britain and France launched a strike on targets in Syria.
"This conclusion is based on descriptions of the attack in multiple media sources, the reported symptoms experienced by victims, videos and images showing two assessed barrel bombs from the attack, and reliable information indicating coordination between Syrian military officials before the attack," the statement said on Friday.
The Russian Defense Ministry said during a press briefing on Friday Moscow has substantial evidence confirming that the alleged chemical attack in the Syrian town of Duma was a provocation staged with the direct involvement of the United Kingdom.
On Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress that the US military does not have evidence that either chlorine or sarin was used in an alleged chemical attack in the Syrian town of Douma, adding that the Pentagon's only proof that such an incident occurred has come from social media and media reports.
"There have been a number of these attacks. In many cases, you know we don't have troops, we're not engaged on the ground there, so I cannot tell you that we had evidence, even though we had a lot of media and social media indicators that either chlorine or sarin were used," Mattis said when asked about the alleged attack in the Syrian town of Douma.
After the US, Britain and France launched the strike, Mattis is asked when he was confident a chemical attack happened. He says yesterday.
