The vote on Tuesday came amid an escalating war of words between Washington and Moscow following a suspected gas attack on the Syrian rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday.

Twelve council members voted in favour, while Bolivia joined Russia in voting against, and China abstained.

In order to pass, a resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by permanent members Russia, China, France, Britain or the United States.

"This resolution is the bare minimum that the council can do to respond to the attack,"

Nikki Haley, the  US ambassador to the UN, told the council before the vote.

Syria's government and its ally Russia have denied the chemical attack took place, but rescuers and medics said that dozens of people, including many women and children, were killed.

Addressing the Security Council, Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the UN, said: "Why do you need this mechanism when you have already appointed the guilty party before the investigation?"

The US has threatened a "forceful" military response to the attack, while Russia has warned of "grave repercussions" if military action against Syria is launched.

"This is the 12th Russian veto in relation to events in Syria since the beginning of the war in Syria," said Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna, reporting from the UN headquarters in New York.

"The UN still has nobody that can actually provide accountability for chemical attacks," he said.

"There is the fact-finding mission, which is able to determine whether an attack has taken place or not but does not have the mandate to apportion blame.

"That is what the US and other members of the Security Council were seeking to do and that is what Russia has just vetoed."

Apart from the US-drafted text, Security Council members will also vote on two other resolutions submitted by Russia.

News24