UK may arm Syrian rebels within months: We should not rule out any option, says Hague Foreign Secretary tells MPs forces will also be trained in detecting chemical weapons Britain could start arming rebel fighters in Syria within months, William Hague hinted yesterday, as he warned the conflict was becoming a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis. The Foreign Secretary told MPs that Britain would send millions of pounds worth of armoured vehicles and body armour to Syrian rebels fighting to depose dictator Bashar al-Assad. And he said Britain was "ready to move further" if the fighting, which has already claimed 70,000 lives, continues to intensify. "We should not rule out any option for saving lives," he added. As the number of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria topped one million, Mr Hague said Britain believed Assad could use chemical weapons against his own people. Testing equipment to provide evidence of any use of chemical weapons is also being sent. Foreign Office sources last night confirmed that Mr Hague could push for a further easing of an EU arms embargo as soon as May to allow Britain to send guns and ammunition to rebel fighters. Mr Hague said Syria was becoming the "top destination for jihadists anywhere in the world," with Al Qaeda fighters pouring into the country to join the battle against Assad. Critics have warned there is a serious risk that arming the rebels could put weapons into the hands of Al Qaeda. But Mr Hague suggested that the rise of the jihadists underlined the case for backing more moderate rebels who are outgunned by government forces, which are being supplied with weapons by Russia and Iran. Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell warned that Britain was in danger of being dragged into another Iraq-style conflict. Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander also warned against arming the rebels. He said: "Syria today is replete with arms. Former defence minister Sir Gerald Howarth told Mr Hague: "I am extremely concerned that the United Kingdom's hand is being drawn ever more closely into this mangle." But former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said Britain should be arming the moderate Syrian rebels now. He said: "Until such time as the Syrian opposition have the military equipment that will enable them to defeat the Assad regime - and thereby bring the conflict to an end earlier than would otherwise be the case - we will see a continuation of tens of thousands of people being killed and the extremists in the opposition will benefit from that delay." The chief of staff of the rebel army in Syria was in Brussels yesterday, pleading with the international community to supply it with arms and ammunition to help topple Assad. Mr Hague said he would hold talks in London with his Russian counterpart next week in a bid to secure support for a diplomatic solution. He warned that Assad believed he could count on being "shielded" at the United Nations, where Russia has, until now, vetoed action against Syria.