MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On April 6, the United States carried out a missile attack on Ash Sha’irat, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the city of Homs, claiming, with no evidence provided, that the chemical attack on Syria's Idlib was allegedly launched from that airfield. According to the US Department of Defense, a total of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched during the attack.
"We believe that if there is any allegation of the use of chemical weapons, we condemn its use and whoever uses it. An episode like this should be investigated and the UN has the capabilities to do that. We, in our reaction to the US strikes, have urged restraint and we have also called for an investigation," Aslam said.
The Pakistani official added that Islamabad watches with concern the escalation of the situation in Syria and the continuing plight and suffering of the Syrian people.
Earlier this month, the Syrian opposition reported that some 80 people were killed and that 200 more were injured in a chemical weapons attack in Idlib, blaming the Syrian army for the attack. On April 7, the United States carried out a missile attack on the Syrian airbase near the city of Homs, claiming, with no evidence provided, that the chemical attack was allegedly launched from that airfield. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has denied the government’s involvement in the Idlib incident, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday criticized the US missile attack as a violation of international law.