Syria rebels: 1,300 killed in Damascus attack, chemicals used

A leading Syrian opposition figure said on Wednesday 1,300 people had been killed in attacks by President Bashar Assad's forces around Damascus in which he said chemical weapons had been used. "Today's crimes...constitute a significant turning point in the regime's operations...This time it was for annihilation rather than terror," George Sabra told a news conference in Istanbul. 

Syria denied activist reports on Wednesday that the army had used chemical weapons. Video footage from districts east of the capital showed people choking, some foaming at the mouth, and many bodies with no signs of injuries. (Reuters)