July 9, 2013 - 21:29 AMT
Russian envoy says Syrian rebels made sarin nerve gas, used it

Russia's UN ambassador says Russian experts have determined that Syrian rebels made sarin nerve gas and used it in a deadly attack outside Aleppo in March, The Associated Press reports.

International analysts say a March 19 chemical weapon attack occurred in the Aleppo suburb of Khan al-Assal. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin blamed a Syrian rebel group linked to al-Qaeda for the attack, but the rebels have blamed the government.

Churkin said Tuesday, July 9, after delivering an 80-page report to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that samples taken on site at the invitation of the Syrian government showed that the sarin gas was "not industrial" quality, but rather produced recently in "cottage industry" conditions.