New York: Russia and the United States tangled at the UN Security Council over Syria as they blocked attempts by each other to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in the war-ravaged country.

The United States and other Western powers are considering taking military action over a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on a rebel-held Syrian town that long had held out against President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution to create a new inquiry to ascertain blame for such attacks. The US and other countries then blocked a rival Russian bid to set up a different probe that would require the Security Council to attribute responsibility. Its own resolution then also failed.

Moscow opposes any Western strike on its close ally Assad. Russian USAmbassador Vassily Nebenzia said Washington's decision to put forward its resolution could be a prelude to a Western strike on Syria.

"The United States is again trying to mislead the international community and is making yet one more step toward confrontation," Nebenzia told the 15-member Security Council. "It is clear that the provocation step has nothing to do with a desire to investigate what happened."

Twelve council members voted in favour of the US resolution, while Bolivia joined Russia in voting no, and China abstained. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain or the US to pass.