U.S. officials: Blood samples show nerve agent, chlorine in Syria gas attack

Two U.S. officials said they were "confident" in the intelligence, though not 100 percent sure.

by Courtney Kube and Ken Dilanian / Apr.12.2018 / 1:17 PM ET


Syrian children wait to receive medical treatment after Syrian government forces allegedly conducted a poisonous gas attack on Douma, in eastern Ghouta, on April 7. Fadi Abdullah / Getty Images

WASHINGTON — The U.S. now has blood and urine samples from last Saturday's deadly attack in Syria that have tested positive for chemical weapons, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence.

The samples suggested the presence of both chlorine gas and an unnamed nerve agent, two officials said. Typically, such samples are obtained through hospitals and collected by U.S. or foreign intelligence assets on the ground. The officials said they were "confident" in the intelligence, though not 100 percent sure.

The Assad regime is known to have stocks of the nerve agent sarin, and has previously used a mixture of chlorine and sarin in attacks, say U.S. officials.

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