Snipers shoot at UN weapons inspectors_美文_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Snipers shoot at UN weapons inspectors

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Snipers shot at a UN team set to inspect the site of a suspected deadly chemical weapons attack on Monday, further ratcheting up tensions as the West warned of possible military action against Damascus.

A defiant Syrian President Bashar al-Assad declared that any strike by the United States and its allies would be doomed to failure and key ally Moscow said it could have dangerous consequences for the entire region.

A UN spokesman said unidentified snipers shot at the UN experts looking into allegations of a chemical attack near Damascus last week that the Syrian opposition claimed killed hundreds of civilians.

The attack forced them to suspend their inspection but no injuries were reported, said spokesman Martin Nesirky.

"The first vehicle of the chemical weapons investigation team was deliberately shot at multiple times by unidentified snipers," he said.

Syria blamed rebel forces for the attack, state television said on Monday.

Syria TV, citing an Information Ministry source, said the international experts were shot at by "terrorists", a term it commonly uses to describe rebels trying to topple Assad.

"The Syrian government will hold the armed terrorist groups responsible for the safety of the members of the United Nations team," the source added, according to state television.

The attack came as the West appeared to be moving closer to launching a military response over last Wednesday's attack near Damascus, which shocked the world after grisly pictures emerged of dead civilians.