Macron: France Will Strike Syria if Chemical Weapons Are Used

President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that France will strike Syria if proven evidence emerges of chemical weapons being used against civilians, the BBC reported.

“We will strike the place where these launches are made or where they are organized,” he told reporters in Paris. However, the French president noted that he has not yet received proof that sanctioned chemical weapons have been used.

Macron’s comments come after medics and rescue workers in Idlib province this month alleged that at least nine people suffered from breathing problems after a purported chlorine gas attack on the opposition stronghold. Last month, activists in Eastern Ghouta reported 21 cases of suffocation following an alleged chemical weapons attack on the suburb of Douma.

In May last year, the French president said that the use of chemical weapons in Syria was a “red line” that would draw an immediate response from France. Macron reaffirmed that position on Tuesday, saying that nothing has changed.

Meanwhile, the vice president of the Syria Civil Defense on Tuesday said that France should start taking action rather than just drawing red lines in Syria, according to Reuters.

“Use another word because all the red lines have been crossed and the (Syrians) are disappointed with these words,” Abdulrahman Almawwas told reporters in Paris. “It’s time to take real action and not just talk about red lines.”

Syrian Government Undermines Outcome of Sochi Talks

The Syrian government on Tuesday undermined the main outcome of last month’s peace talks in Sochi by rejecting U.N.-led efforts to form a committee to oversee the drafting of a new Syrian constitution, Reuters reported.

The statement by Damascus deals a blow to Russia, the main sponsor of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, which ended in Sochi last month. Its plan was to form a constitutional committee that includes representatives from government, opposition and independent groups.

“As a state, we are not bound by, nor have any relation with, any committee that is not Syrian formed, led and constituted,” said Ayman Soussan, assistant to the Syrian foreign minister, at a press conference in Damascus, according to Reuters.

“We are not bound by anything that is formed by foreign sides, whatever their name or state, we are not bound by it and it is of no concern to us.”

Kremlin: No Information on Russian Mercenaries Allegedly Killed by Coalition

The Kremlin on Tuesday said it had no information about the alleged killing of Russian mercenaries during last week’s coalition airstrikes on pro-government forces in Deir Ezzor province, Reuters reported.

The comments by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov come after reports surfaced this week alleging that a number of Russian men fighting informally alongside the Syrian government were killed in clashes between the U.S.-led coalition and pro-government fighters who attacked a headquarters of the Syrian Democratic Forces near the town of Khusham.

U.S. defense secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday said he is aware of claims that Russian fighters were among those killed by coalition strikes, but said that he could not confirm the reports, according to Reuters.

“There is now reporting in the press. I don’t have any reporting that some Russians, non-Russian Federation soldiers, but Russian contractors, were among the casualties. I can’t give you anything on that, we have not received that word at Central Command or the Pentagon,” he said from Europe.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials on Tuesday said that a U.S. military drone destroyed a Russian-made tank in Syria over the weekend, Reuters said.

It remains unclear who was driving the tank. But a U.S. official speaking to Reuters on the condition of anonymity said that two pro-government fighters were killed in Sunday’s defensive strike, which targeted an armored vehicle approaching U.S.-backed forces in the al-Tabiyeh region of Deir Ezzor. The attack, according to Reuters, marks the “second defensive strike against pro-government forces in less than a week.”

Recommended Reads:

• The Associated Press: New Fronts Emerge in Syria as Assad, Allies Push for Victory
• Foreign Policy: Iran Is Playing With Fire in Syria
• The Atlantic: Syria’s War Is Fueling Three More Conflicts
• Brookings: After 7 Years of War, Assad Has Won in Syria. What’s Next for Washington?
• The Associated Press: Reports of Russian Deaths Underscore Dangers of Syria’s War