It is worrying and awfully alarming to hear a new report on the use of chemical weapons in an apparently unending conflict in Syria. This underlines the fact that the war in the country is not only intensifying but taking an ugly turn too.

The reported attack took place near the northern city of Aleppo without any credible confirmation as to who was responsible for it. There was a blame game on the usage of chemical weapons between both the Syrian government and the opposition. The deadly war is destroying the country and splitting it apart. The use of such weapons is extreme and it paves the way for the use of other fatal weapons.

Nevertheless, blames and counter-blames are meaningless in this specific combat.

The increasing death toll of civilians has exceeded 75,000. It is the civilians who are bearing the brunt and paying a heavy price for a war that they did not start.

It is miserable to note that no progress has been noted so far with regard to bringing an end to the struggle. It is high time the international community took an immediate action to stop the war and end the bloodshed in the country. — Shaukat Naeem Ghumman, Riyadh