UN chief calls for ceasefire in Douma

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for a halt to fighting in Douma near Damascus, saying the international body was not not able to confirm the use of chemical weapons.

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the intense violence that has been re-launched in Douma over the past 36 hours, after a period of relative calm" and "calls on all parties to stop the fighting," said his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, in a statement.

Guterres "is particularly worried about the allegations of the use of chemical weapons against civilian populations in Douma."

"Even if the United Nations is not able to verify this information, the Secretary-General stresses that any use of chemical weapons, if confirmed, is odious and requires a thorough investigation," said the statement.