U.N. says chemical weapons use 'extremely alarming and disturbing'

A civil defence member breathes through an oxygen mask, after what rescue workers described as a suspected gas attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in rebel-held Idlib, Syria April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Any use of chemical weapons is "extremely alarming and disturbing," a United Nations spokesman said on Tuesday after a suspected toxic gas attack in Syria killed dozens of people, including 11 children, in the northwestern province of Idlib. "Any sort of report of use of chemical weapons, especially on civilians is extremely alarming and disturbing. Any use of chemical weapons anywhere constitutes a threat to peace and security and is a serious violation of international law," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Chris Reese)