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The Latest: Syria condemns French remarks on sarin attack

BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on Syria (all times local):

1:50 p.m.

Syria's government has condemned what it says are "lies and fabricated allegations" by the French foreign minister concerning a deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria earlier this month.

Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that the chemical analysis of samples taken from the April 4 sarin gas attack "bears the signature" of President Bashar Assad's government and shows it was responsible.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Syrian foreign ministry said Ayrault's remarks show "France's involvement in masterminding this crime."

It also said France was not suited and had no legal authority to determine what happened in Khan Sheikhoun, the rebel-held town where the incident occurred.

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12:15 p.m.

Britain's foreign secretary says Britain could join the United States in further military action against Syria if asked to do so.

Boris Johnson said Thursday it would be "very difficult to say no" if the U.S. seeks British help on a military mission against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

He did not specify whether Parliament would be asked to approve any military action ahead of time. He said that decision would be up to the government and Prime Minister Theresa May.

President Donald Trump ordered a cruise missile attack against a Syrian air base earlier this month in response to Assad's apparent use of chemical weapons against Syrians.

U.S. officials have said further attacks are likely if Assad uses banned chemical weapons again

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11:45 a.m.

Syria's state media is reporting that Israel has attacked a military installation near the Damascus International Airport.

SANA says Israel fired several missiles from inside the occupied Golan Heights south of the capital at a military installation near the capital's main airport, triggering several explosions and causing damage.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Residents reported feeling the blasts shortly before 4 a.m.

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10:25 a.m.

Israel's intelligence minister says a large explosion near the Damascus airport is in line with Israeli policy but stopped short of taking responsibility for it.

Yisrael Katz wouldn't comment directly on the strike Thursday morning but said "it absolutely matches our declared policy, a policy that we also implement."

Israel has repeatedly warned against "game-changing" weapons reaching Hezbollah from Syria, which along with Iran supports the militant group. Hezbollah fired more than 4,000 rockets on Israel in the 2006 war.

The explosion was heard across the Syrian capital, jolting residents awake, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdurrahman said.

Israel has been largely unaffected by the Syrian civil war. It has also carried out a number of airstrikes on suspected weapon convoys it believed were destined for Hezbollah.

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7 a.m.

Syrian opposition activists and a monitor say a large explosion has rocked the Syrian capital, followed by a fire near Damascus airport.

The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdurrahman says the explosion early Thursday has been heard across the capital, jolting residents awake. He says the explosion is reported to have occurred near the Damascus airport road.

The dawn explosion has also been reported by other activists' networks but the source was unclear.

Activist-operated Diary of a Mortar, which reports from Damascus, says the explosion near the airport road was followed by flames rising above the area. A pro-government site Damascus Now says the explosion was near the city's Seventh Bridge, which leads to the airport road.

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