SYRIAN President Bashar al-Assad accused the US, UK and France of supporting terrorism as he scotched claims he had attacked his own people.

Mr Assad said the Western narrative “doesn’t hold together,” pointing to the support of his people in the seven-year war against “terrorists” in Syria which would not be possible if he was carrying out chemical attacks against his own civilians.

He accused Western governments of backing so-called “moderate opposition” groups in Syria in their attempt to force regime change, insisting that these forces were indistinguishable from jihadist groups.