Tasnim – Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Tuesday that Riyadh could take part in military action in Syria after an alleged chemical attack in the eastern Ghouta region over the weekend.


US President Donald Trump on Monday promised quick, forceful action in response to the attack, appearing to suggest a potential military response.

“If our alliance with our partners requires it, we will be present,” bin Salman said at a news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, wrapping up a three-day visit to Paris, Reuters reported.

The attack late on Saturday reportedly killed at least 60 people and hurt more than 1,000 at several sites in Douma, a town near the capital, Damascus, according to the Union of Medical Care Organizations.

The developments came after a suspected chemical weapons attack hit the Syrian town of Douma late on Saturday. It reportedly killed at least 60 people and wounded more than 1,000 others.

Western countries rushed to blame the incident on the Syrian government. Damascus rejected the accusations as “chemical fabrications” made by the terrorists themselves in a bid to halt pro-government forces’ advances.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry sent an official invitation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to send a fact-finding mission to Douma and investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons there.