International inspectors enter scene of Syria's latest chemical massacre

Inspectors from the world's leading chemical weapons watchdog have finally been allowed to enter the Syrian town of Douma, where a deadly gas attack took place earlier this month, the Russian foreign ministry has claimed.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has waited two weeks to be allowed into Douma where a chemical attack saw over 40 civilians lose their lives.

The Douma attack has been blamed on the Syrian regime, and Russian and Damascus' refusal to allow entry to the OPCW team led to accusations of a cover up.

Russia now claims that the inspectors have been allowed to the site.

"According to information we have, the special OPCW mission arrived on the morning of April 21 in the city of Douma at the sites suspected of having toxic substances," the Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The OPCW team had not yet been able to begin its field work in Douma, where dozens were killed in a suspected 7 April gas attack, as Western powers warned that President Bashar al-Assad's regime may have attempted to remove crucial evidence.

Inspectors arrived in Syria just hours after unprecedented US-led strikes on regime targets, but the watchdog said safety fears had hampered plans for the experts to travel to Douma.

The town was controlled by rebels until Russian-backed regime forces fully retook it last week.

The United States, France and Britain have accused Assad's regime of carrying out the suspected chemical attack, but Russia and Syria deny toxic gas was used in Douma.

According to the UN report, a security team travelled to two sites on Tuesday escorted by Russian military police.

Graphic footage purportedly of the aftermath shocked the world, with harrowing testimony from medics of victims gasping for air and frothing at the mouth.