PARIS, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were accused of using chemical arms in their conflict with the opposition forces, a French daily reported Monday.
The Syrian government and the rebels have accused each other of using chemical weapons recently.
"Reporters from Le Monde witnessed this on several days in a row in this district, on the outskirts of Damascus, which the rebels entered in January," Le Monde wrote.
"In two months spent reporting on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, we encountered similar cases across a much larger region. Their gravity, their increasing frequency and the tactic of using such arms show that what is being released is not just tear gas, which is used on all fronts, but products of a different class that are far more toxic," it said.
Unveiling a first-hand account of the use of chemical weapons in Syrian civil war, the French newspaper said its photographer suffered blurred vision and respiratory problems for four days after an attack.
However, the United Nations (UN) investigation has revealed just the opposite to the French newspaper report.
According to media reports earlier this month, the UN independent commission of inquiry on Syria has not yet seen evidence of government forces having used chemical weapons, which are banned under international law, adding that the rebels are the ones responsible for using sarin gas and other chemical weapons based on testimony given to medical staff and human rights workers.
French top diplomat will meet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris later on Monday to discuss over how to respond to the rising evidence of chemical use in Syria and to outline details of the upcoming international conference "Geneva 2" which aimed at ending the Syrian conflict and preparing the path for a democratic transition in the war-torn country.
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