Syria's Eastern Ghouta 'totally stabilised': Russian army

The Russian army today said the situation in the former Syrian opposition bastion of Eastern Ghouta had been "totally stabilised".

"The situation in Eastern Ghouta has been totally stabilised. Refugees are continuously returning to where they lived. As of today some 60,000 people have returned to their homes," Lieutenant-General Viktor Poznikhir said at a briefing in Moscow.

Rebels were in the process of leaving their last outpost of Douma, Poznikhir said, adding that "there has not been a single shot or confrontation in Eastern Ghouta for the last five days".

Military police would be sent to Douma from Thursday to keep the peace, he said.

Poznikhir also accused the White Helmets civil defence organisation of staging a chemical weapons attack in Douma on Saturday that has led to US President Donald Trump promising strikes.

According to the rescuers, some 40 people were killed in a chemical attack that the West has blamed on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, prompting strong denials from Moscow.

Russia has long claimed rebels were planning to stage such an attack with the aim of provoking further Western intervention in the war-torn country.

At a separate event in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped "common sense" would prevail in world diplomacy following a furious tweet from Trump warning that "missiles will be coming".

"The situation in the world is becoming more and more chaotic but all the same we hope that common sense will finally prevail and international relations will take a constructive path," he said.