UNITED NATIONS (REUTERS) - Syria's UN envoy on Wednesday requested that Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon order a UN team of chemical experts currently in Damascus to investigate three rebel attacks in which he said Syrian soldiers inhaled poisonous gas.

Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari told reporters that he asked Mr Ban "to mandate immediately the investigation team present now in Damascus to investigate three heinous incidents that took place in the countryside of Damascus on the 22nd, 24th and 25th where members of the Syrian army inhaled poisonous gas."

He spoke just after the five permanent UN Security Council members finished meeting behind closed doors on a British proposal for a draft resolution demanding a swift response to an alleged chemical weapon attack on Syrian civilians last week.

The envoys did not comment afterwards.