Russia said it had information proving that armed groups fighting against the Syrian government had used chemical weapons in an attack on a village in the northern city of Aleppo in which 25 civilians were killed.

“A case of the use of chemical weapons by the armed opposition was recorded early in the morning of March 19 in Aleppo province,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement shortly after the attack.

According to Syria’s official news agency SANA, at least 25 people were killed and many others injured after terrorists fired missiles containing “poisonous gases” into Aleppo’s Khan al-Assal village on Tuesday. Most of the casualties were women and children.

“We are very seriously concerned by the fact that weapons of mass destruction are falling into the hands of the rebels, which further worsens the situation in Syria and elevates the confrontation in the country to a new level,” the Russian statement said.

Syria’s Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi described the terrorists’ use of chemical weapons as the “first act” by the so-called opposition interim government.

He also said that Turkey and Qatar, which support militants fighting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, bore “legal, moral and political responsibility” for the chemical attack in the northern city of Aleppo.

The attack comes hours after Syria’s opposition National Coalition elected Ghassan Hitto, a former US-based IT executive, as prime minister for what it called an interim government.

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