UN Security Council to discuss Syrian chemical attack

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday on Syria following a chemical attack on civilians in Eastern Ghouta, according to the U.S. mission at the UN.

The mission said in a written statement Sunday that the U.S. along with Cote d’Ivoire, France, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom had made the call for the meeting "in light of the latest allegations of a chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria."

It also cited U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley as saying that the use of chemical weapons to injure and kill innocent civilians has become "all too common" in Syria.

"The Security Council has to come together and demand immediate access for first responders, support an independent investigation into what happened and hold accountable those responsible for this atrocious act,” said Haley.

In the statement, Washington called for "access for first responders to provide medical help and verification‎ without delay" as it expressed support for "a new independent, impartial mechanism to make attributions for chemical weapons use in Syria".

Earlier, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council over the chemical attack late Saturday by the Syrian regime which killed dozens of civilians.

At least 70 civilians were killed after forces of the Bashar al-Assad regime struck targets in Eastern Ghouta’s Douma district in an attack in which poison gas appears to have been used, according to the White Helmets civil defense agency.