Article content

WASHINGTON — The U.S. has no evidence to confirm reports from aid groups and others that the Syrian government has used the deadly chemical sarin on its citizens, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday.

“We have other reports from the battlefield from people who claim it’s been used,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. “We do not have evidence of it.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or US has no evidence of Syrian use of sarin gas, Mattis says Back to video

He said he was not rebutting the reports.

“We’re looking for evidence of it, since clearly we are dealing with the Assad regime that has used denial and deceit to hide their outlaw actions,” Mattis said.

Syrian President Bashar Assad denies his government has used chemical weapons.

Mattis says it is clear that Assad’s government has weaponized and used chlorine gas in the Syrian civil war.

“We’re even more concerned about the possibility of sarin use,” he said. Sarin is a colorless and tasteless toxin that can cause respiratory failure leading to death.