DAMASCUS, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Syria on Tuesday condemned the "allegations" by the European Union Council on the use of chemical weapons, reported state news agency SANA.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said the allegations about Syrian forces' use of chemical weapons are untrue and lack evidence.

The aim behind the accusation is to offend the Syrian government and protect the "terrorist groups ..., which are the ones using such weapons."

The allegations undermine EU's credibility, the ministry said.

A day earlier, the EU Council added four persons to the list of those targeted by EU restrictive measures against the Syrian government, accusing their use of chemical weapons against the "civilian population."

The EU measure is the latest in a string of stances expressed by the Western powers, including the United States, regarding new claims of chemical weapons use in Syria, with the Syrian government accusing the West of creating a pretext for targeting Syria. Enditem