“These conclusions lack any physical evidence, whether by samples or attested medical reports that chlorine was used,” said Syrian UN Ambassador Bashar Al Jaafari after a closed-door UN Security Council meeting over the report on Tuesday.

The report was “totally based on witnesses presented by terrorist armed groups,” he added.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin also stated that he had “very serious questions” over the findings and urged investigators to collect more information.

“There are a number of questions which have to be clarified before we accept all the findings of the report,” he said.

The United Kingdom and France immediately sought for sanctions against the Syrian government, but Churkin stressed, “There is nobody to sanction in the report… It contains no names, no specifics, no fingerprints.”

“Clearly there is a smoking gun. We know that chlorine was most likely used, but there are no fingerprints on the gun,” he added.

12