'Ruthless' brother of President Assad accused of being behind chemical weapons attack which killed 1,200 Syrians

Israeli TV station accused Maher al-Assad of being behind deadly attack

He is c ommander of Republican Guard and Fourth Armoured Division

Channel 2 news report claimed shelling came from Division's base



Syria has denied using stocks of sarin to shell the area



An Israeli television channel has alleged that Maher al-Assad was behind the chemical attack

The brother of President Bashar al-Assad has been accused of being behind the chemical weapons attack which killed thousands of Syrians.

Maher al-Assad, a feared figure within the regime, has not been seen for more than a year.

But an Israeli television channel has alleged that he was behind the attack which killed up to 1,200 in Damascus last week - including many children.

The commander of the 10,000 strong Republican Guard and the Fourth Armoured Division Maher has been a core figure in Syria's two and half year civil war.

The Channel 2 news report claimed that the shelling originated from the base of the Fourth Armoured Division, just south of Damascus.

Syria has denied using stocks of sarin to shell the area.



It would not be the first time that Maher - said to be his brother's 'enforcer' - had been linked with some of the war's bloodiest episodes, the Guardian reports.



Maher Assad, who is known for his brutality and commands key government units fighting against the Syrian rebels, was injured in the Damascus bombing on July 18, 2012, which also claimed the life of his brother-in-law Assef Shawkat and the defence minister Dawoud Rajha.



It has been reported that at the time of the 2011 uprising Maher was spotted shooting at unarmed protesters.

Said to be violent and and quick tempered, Maher trained at the Damascus military academy with elder brother and heir to the presidency, Bassel, the Telegraph reports.

David Cameron has insisted any military action in Syria would be to prevent the future use of chemical weapons

Meanwhile, U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said its armed forces were in place in the region and was 'ready to go' should President Barack Obama order action

Dictator Bashar Al-Assad said that any U.S. intervention in Syria was doomed to end in failure during an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia in Damascus

It was thought that Maher was to replace Bassel when he was killed in a car crash in 1994. But the ruthless and 'hot-headed' Maher was bypassed for his older brother Bashar.



It comes as it was today reported that Britain and the U.S. could launch missile strikes on Syria as early as Friday.

But David Cameron today insisted any military action in Syria would be to prevent the future use of chemical weapons as he warned Britain was not looking to get involved in 'a Middle Eastern war'.



The Prime Minister said the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons on 10 other occasions before the attack that killed up to 1,200 in Damascus last week and warned the world 'should not stand idly by'.

Death toll: Hundreds died in the alleged chemical attacks, including many women and children

Calling Assad a 'thug' and a 'murderer,' John Kerry declared, 'History would judge us all extraordinarily harshly if we turned a blind eye to a dictator's use of chemical weapons.'

'Evidence': Secretary of State John Kerry said images like these contributed to the U.S. assessment that chemical weapons were used in Syria

Meanwhile, U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said its armed forces were in place in the region and was 'ready to go' should President Barack Obama order action.



Reports in America suggest they could lead missile strikes from as early as Thursday.



But the tyrannical al-Assad regime has warned it will fight back with 'all means available' and its foreign secretary said attacking the country to help rebels in their war with the state was 'delusional'.

