Global Security Newswire

Reports that Syrian forces had used a chemical warfare material last month were sparked by the release of a "riot control agent" in the city of Homs, CNN quoted high-level U.S. officials as saying on Wednesday.

The potential for the Assad regime to employ its large chemical arms stockpile has been a major concern in the ongoing Syrian civil war that NATO says has already killed more than 60,000 people.

The U.S. Consulate in Istanbul issued a cable to the State Department stating that interviews with Syrian physicians and others indicated that an incapacitant, possibly Agent 15, had been used on Dec. 23 in Homs, Foreign Policy reported on Tuesday. There were six deaths, and other victims suffered physical effects such as seizures and paralysis, according to one physician who was present on that day.

A deeper State Department probe found that the effects were caused by a material that is not intended to cause long-term problems, U.S. officials said. However, the material was used in an urban setting and remained concentrated, heightening its impact.

"It is meant to be short term," according to one source. "But just like with tear gas, if you breathe in an entire canister, that can have a severe effect on your lungs and other organs."

"That doesn't make it a chemical weapon, however," the official added.