Russian lawmaker warns Syria strike by US in response to 'chemical attack' could trigger military clash

A senior Russian lawmaker said that a US strike on Syria could trigger a military retaliation.

Vladimir Shamanov, a retired general who heads the defence affairs committee, said a US strike in Syria could hurt Russian servicemen and trigger Russian retaliation.

He said that Russia has "the necessary means for that and the Americans and their allies know that quite well."

President Donald Trump has cleared his scheduled trip to the Summit of the Americas to concentrate on a response to Syria after an apparent chemical weapons attack on civilians by government forces.

Vice President Mike Pence is to take his place in Peru for the 8th Summit of the Americas and a trip to Colombia while Trump remains in the US to monitor developments, his press secretary said.

In a statement, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: "The President will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world."

On Monday, the President vowed to respond "forcefully" to Saturday's apparent poisonous gas attack on civilians in Duma.

Mr Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting that the administration would be making a "major" decision on Syria within the next 24 to 48 hours.

He added: "We are going to make a decision tonight or very shortly thereafter. And you'll be hearing the decision.

"We can't let atrocities like we all witnessed... we can't let that happen in our world.

"We can't let that happen, especially when we are able to - because of the power of the US, because of the power of our country - we are able to stop it."

Meanwhile, Downing Street said the Prime Minister agreed with her French and US counterparts that the "international community needed to respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons".

Prime Minister Theresa May spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron and Mr Trump on the telephone on Tuesday about the situation in Syria.

A spokeswoman for Number 10 said: "The Prime Minister held separate telephone conversations earlier today with the US President Donald Trump and the French President Emmanuel Macron.

"They agreed that reports of a chemical weapons attack in Syria were utterly reprehensible and if confirmed, represented further evidence of the Assad regime's appalling cruelty against its own people and total disregard for its legal obligations not to use these weapons.

"They agreed that the international community needed to respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.

"They agreed they would continue working closely together and with international partners to ensure that those responsible were held to account."

Mrs May has described the attack as "barbaric", adding: "If it is the responsibility of Assad's regime then it's yet another example of the brutality and brazen disregard for their people they show."

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair told ITV News that the international community has to treat a chemical attack as a "red line".

He said: "Frankly, if you don't take action then you give carte blanche to the Assad regime and their backers, the Russians and the Iranians.

"Since 2013, we've had probably twelve incidents of chemical weapons (in Syria) - so if the world doesn't take a stand then it sends a very clear signal," he added.

Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn said: "I think the intervention ought to be to support the United Nations in undertaking an investigation into the chemical weapons attack. That's what the UN has called for.

"But, also, there has to be a political solution in Syria. That does mean the US and Russia, instead of engaging in megaphone diplomacy across the floor of the Security Council, saying they will support the reconvening of the Geneva talks and all the countries in the region getting round the table together."