Syria's army has never and will never use chemical weapons, the country's foreign minister has said.

Walid Muallem rejected claims that President Bashar al-Assad's regime had carried out a chemical attack that killed at least 86 people in the town of Khan Sheikhoun.

"Our army has never used chemical weapons and will not use chemical weapons, not only against our civilians but also against terrorists who are attacking our civilians," he said.

Mr Muallem said the Syrian army had attacked a depot belonging to the Al-Nusra Front, a terror group, and that it had contained chemical weapons.

He added that the Syrian government has previously warned the UN Security Council and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons that weapons were being brought into the country from Iraq and Turkey.