NATO chief 'supports' Syria strikes

BRUSSELS: The head of NATO expressed his support for Western air strikes in Syria on Saturday in response to the latest alleged chemical weapons attack.

"I support the actions taken by the United States, the United Kingdom and France... This will reduce the regime's ability to further attack the people of Syria with chemical weapons," Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.

He said the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons was "a clear breach of international norms and agreements".

The United States, Britain and France staged a wave of air strikes against Assad's regime on Saturday, a week after a suspected deadly gas attack on the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma.

"NATO considers the use of chemical weapons as a threat to international peace and security, and believes that it is essential to protect the Chemical Weapons Convention," the statement added.

"This calls for a collective and effective response by the international community."

NATO, which is not directly involved in the operations of the international coalition in Syria, announced its ambassadors would meet later Saturday at its Brussels headquarters.

"The objective of the meeting is for France, United Kingdom and the United States to update the Council on the latest developments in Syria," it said in a statement.

Stoltenberg will give a press briefing after the meeting.