UN blames Bashar al-Assad for Syria chemical attack

Reports have emerged that the United Nations investigative panel has blamed the Bashar al-Assad government of Syria for the deadly chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun that killed at least 87 people.

As per New York Times, the UN report stated that the Syrian Air Force was responsible for sarin chemical attack on rebel-held village on April 4.

Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), the investigative panel jointly created by the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), had been probing who the culprit behind the attack.

A separate OPCW fact-finding mission determined in June that the banned nerve agent sarin gas had been used in the deadly chemical attack.

US went on record to hold Syrian government culpable for the attack.

On 7 April, three days after the attack, the United States even launched 59 cruise missiles at Shayrat Air Base, which US intelligence claimed was the source of the attack.

Bashar al-Assad-led Syrian government denied involvement in the toxic attack and blamed rebel groups.

Meanwhile, Syria's ally, Russia has used its veto power nine times at the UN security council to block action targeting Syria.

On Tuesday, Russia cast a veto preventing the renewal of the mandate of JIM which is due to expire in mid-November.