WESTERN-BACKED Syrian extremists admitted yesterday using chemical weapons against a Kurdish-held suburb of Aleppo.

In a statement, the Army of Islam said one of its brigade commanders had ordered the use of “forbidden” weapons in Thursday’s assault on Sheikh Maqsoud, defended by the Kurdish YPG militia.

“During the clashes, one of the Jaysh al-Islam brigade leaders used [weapons] forbidden in this kind of confrontation,” the statement said, using the Arabic name for the group.

It claimed the commander responsible would be court-martialled for the attack.

Video footage of the incident showed a large cloud of yellow gas and victims being treated for breathing problems.

Kurdish Red Crescent doctor Wallat Mamu told Russia Today TV: “The symptoms of those affected by the attack, such as choking, made it possible to affirm that they were poisoned as a result of the use of banned toxic gases such as chlorine or other agents.

“All our patients have similar symptoms.”

The YPG also confirmed the attack by “Islamists acting under patronage of Turkey.

“Its poisonous effects have been experienced by dozens of civilians,” the YPG central headquarters said in a statement.

“We will report this fact to the ceasefire centres, to the Russian centre in Latakia and the American one in Jordan.”

The YPG accused insurgents of firing white phosphorus munitions into the suburb on March 9.

The Army of Islam is one of the two major factions represented in the Saudi-convened High Negotiations Committee of rebel groups at UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva.

The other is Ahrar ash-Sham, which renewed its alliance with Syrian al-Qaida branch the Nusra Front last weekend, launching a major offensive against army forces south-west of Aleppo.

Both Russia and Syria have demanded the exclusion of Army of Islam political leader Mohammed Alloush from the talks.

Syria’s General Federation of Trade Unions condemned the abduction of more than 300 workers by Islamic State (Isis) from a cement factory east of the capital Damascus.

Earlier, the army dismissed reports that 175 of the workers had been executed, saying their fate was still unknown.