DAMASCUS, Syria • At least 50 civilians were being treated Saturday after a suspected poison gas attack by Syrian rebels on the government-held Aleppo city in the country’s north, according to reports in Syrian state media.

Most of those admitted to hospitals had breathing problems and blurred vision, doctors told state TV. One doctor said two were in critical condition, including a child. State TV showed medical professionals treating men and women on hospital beds.

There was a stench of gas in Aleppo after projectiles were fired, said Rami Abdurrahman, head of Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Rebel commanders and opposition figures discredited the government reports, denying they lobbed gas into Aleppo and accusing Damascus of seeking to undermine an existing cease-fire and efforts to kick-start political talks. Earlier Saturday, government shelling of a rebel-held area in neighboring Idlib province killed at least seven civilians.

Health official Haj Taha said symptoms suggest chlorine gas was used, but further tests are needed.

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows a man receiving treatment at a hospital following a suspected chemical attack on his town of al-Khalidiya, in Aleppo, Syria, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. At least 41 civilians were being treated following a suspected poison gas attack by Syrian rebel groups on government-held Aleppo city in the country’s north, according to Syrian state media. (SANA via AP)

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