The civil war in Syria, which as claimed thousands of lives so far, showed its ugly side once again on Tuesday. Suspected chemical attacks killed at least 100 people in Syria's rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib and left another 400 suffering from respiratory problems.

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The death toll is likely to rise, according to the Union of Medical Care Organisations, a coalition of international aid agencies that funds hospitals in Syria and which is partly based in Paris.

At least 58 people, 11 of them children, were reportedly killed by a "toxic gas" attack in #Idlib province, northwest Syria. #SyriaGasAttack pic.twitter.com/ktxVJXB9ur — dwnews (@dwnews) April 4, 2017

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The group said the village of Khan Sheikhoun to the south of Idlib had initially been hit before strikes on the White Helmets emergency services centre in Khan Sheikhoun and the Al-Rahme hospital.

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"We have seen more than 40 strikes since 06h30," it said.

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The international community was soon to condemn the barbaric act. EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said the al-Assad regime bears 'primary responsibility' for the attack.

"Today the news is awful," Mogherini said adding, "But this is a dramatic reminder of the fact that the situation on the ground still continues to be dramatic in many different parts of Syria."

AFP

Britain meanwhile condemned the attack in the northwestern town of Idlib and called for those responsible for being held to account.

"Horrific reports of chemical weapons attack in Idlib, Syria. The incident must be investigated and perpetrators held to account," Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Twitter.

Reuters

Russia, one of the few international backers of Assad, however, painted a different picture.

The Kremlin-backed international broadcaster, Russia Today, quoting Russian Defence Ministry said Syrian Air Force destroyed a warehouse in Idlib, where ammunition dump containing chemical weapons was being produced by militants before being delivered to Iraq.

Reuters

According to Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov, the strike was launched midday Tuesday and targeted a major rebel ammunition depot east of the town of Khan Sheikhoun.