Russia's military on Monday blamed Israel for an early morning bombing raid on the Syrian government's T4 air base near the western city of Homs. It said Israeli F-15s had fired eight missiles at the facility.

The accusations were echoed by Syrian state media, which reported the weapons were launched from Lebanese territory. At least 14 people were killed, most of them members of Iran-backed groups, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the attack as a "very dangerous development."

Watch video 02:16 Share Bombs hit Syrian air base Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2viup Bombing of Syrian air base follows chemical attack

Both the United States and France denied carrying out the raid. Israel, which has struck several Syrian army targets over the course of the seven-year conflict, declined to confirm or deny its involvement. It has, however, repeatedly warned it would not tolerate Iran's military presence in Syria.

The strike came after an alleged chemical attack by Syrian forces on the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday.

Read more: Syria: rebels evacuate Douma under new agreement

Germany demands accountability

The European Union said Monday that accounts "from several sources" indicate Syrian President Bashar Assad's government was responsible for the suspected poison gas attack on opposition-controlled Douma, which killed dozens of people, including children.

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said the regime's actions were "abhorrent."

"Those responsible for the use of poison gas ... must be held to account," he told reporters in Berlin. He also urged Damascus ally Moscow to "give up its blockade mentality" at the UN Security Council and clear the way for an investigation into the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

US not ruling out airstrikes

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday said the US is not ruling out military airstrikes against Syria in response to reports of the toxic gas attack.

"The first thing we have to look at is why are chemical weapons still being used at all when Russia was the framework guarantor of removing all the chemical weapons," Mattis said. "Working with our allies and our partners ... we are going to address this issue ... I don't rule out anything right now."

His comments came after President Donald Trump on Sunday warned there would be a "big price to pay."

Trump announced on Monday that he would make a decision on the US response "within 24 to 48 hours," saying during a Cabinet meeting with reporters that, "If it's Russia, if it's Syria, if it's Iran, if it's all of them together, we'll figure it out."

The UK also called for a "strong" response, with Prime Minister Theresa May urging "the regime and its backers including Russia," be held to account if they are found to be responsible.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? War with no end Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The dictator Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The northern watchman Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The eastern guardian The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The western allies A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The rebels The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The resistance Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The new jihadists "Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The old jihadists IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The Persian shadow Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country. Author: Elizabeth Schumacher, Alexander Pearson



Denials

The Syrian government denied staging Saturday's suspected poison assault on Douma. Russia, Assad's ally, said such accounts were "fabricated."

"Our military specialists have visited this place ... and they did not find any trace of chlorine or any other chemical substance used against civilians," Lavrov said.

Moscow said some 8,000 fighters and 40,000 civilians would be bussed out of the besieged town, and said that proved "no chemical weapons were used in this area."

In February, Macron had said "France will strike" in the event of a lethal chemical weapon attack on civilians by government forces in Syria.

UN Security Council to meet

Relief workers inside Douma told AFP on Sunday that at least 48 people died after showing symptoms consistent with exposure to chlorine gas. Witness reports said bodies still lay in the streets and hospitals were teeming with dead and wounded.

The UN's chemical weapons watchdog said it was gathering more evidence "to establish whether chemical weapons were used."

Read more: What does the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW do?

In April 2017, Trump ordered a strike on another Syrian air base, Shayrat, 70 kilometers (45 miles) west of T4, following similar allegations that Assad had used banned chemicals on civilians.

The UN Security Council has called an emergency meeting for Monday to discuss the incident amid worldwide outrage over the alleged used of poison gas.

nm/rt (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)