(Reuters) -- On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the Syrian government may still be using chemical weapons, following a suspected chlorine attack in the rebel enclave of eastern Ghouta on Monday.

In a statement carried by state news agency SANA, Syria's foreign ministry said such claims were aimed at "obstructing any effort towards finding a way out of the crisis in Syria".

In 2013 Syria said it would give up all of its chemical weapons.

The Syrian army and government have consistently denied using chlorine or other chemical weapons during the war, now in its seventh year.

"Syria has always shown cooperation and provided the conditions necessary for an impartial, objective and professional investigation into the use of chemical weapons," SANA said, adding that "the West" had hindered this process for political aims.

(Photo: breakingnews.sy)