France condemns reported atrocities by Syrian forces in Qusayr

France on Thursday strongly condemned reported atrocities carried out by Syrian regime forces and Hezbollah units in the captured town of Quasyr. "Atrocities have been committed. Those responsible will have to answer for these in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC)," a Foreign Ministry statement said. Quasyr, which fell two days ago after the rout of Syrian opposition forces, is a strategic town near the border with Lebanon and is on a vital supply route for both sides in the conflict. "Faced with the dramatic events that are affecting the Syrian people of Qusayr, the Syrian regime must immediately allow access by independent and impartial humanitarian organisations, in particular those of the United Nations, in order to bring relief to the population in line with international human rights and humanitarian law conventions," the French statement urged. Separately, Paris confirmed that Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was in contact with his US Counterpart John Kerry earlier in the week to discuss the French affirmation that chemical weapons had been used in Syria, certainly on one occasion by the regime. Fabius informed Kerry that all information obtained by the French on chemical weapons use in Syria would be transmitted to Washington through technical and diplomatic channels.