The Syrian army is accused of a chemical attack that killed 49 people.

The Syrian American Medical Association (SAMS) and rebel forces in Eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, issued a joint statement yesterday claiming that Syrian government forces used chemical weapons, killing at least 49 people in the area. The Syrian government denied the accusation, saying the rebels spread false information under duress.ReutersReport the news.

The Syrian army, with Russian support, is making efforts to retake Eastern Ghouta from rebels. Opposition forces say airstrikes have resumed in the area, despite a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian government and Russia.A report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SORH) stated that this was one of the most intense military campaigns in the seven-year civil war in Syria, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,600 civilians.

"The Syrian regime has a history of using chemical weapons to attack its own people. If this is accurate, Washington demands an immediate response from the international community," the U.S. State Department said in a statement following allegations of a chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta. However, Western sources have not been able to verify the allegations.

The US administration reportedly met in early March to discuss the possibility of launching a new offensive against Syria in response to allegations that Damascus used chemical weapons. The meeting followed reports that the weapons had been used in a government offensive in the town of Eastern Ghouta on February 25th. Many victims exhibited symptoms consistent with chlorine poisoning, and one child died.