OPCW confirms chemical weapon use in Syria

MENA

Published: 2018-06-14 17:38

Last Updated: 2024-04-25 06:27


The FFM was established in 2014.
The FFM was established in 2014.

The Syrian Arab Republic “very likely used” sarin as a chemical weapon in the south of Ltamenah on March 24, 2017 and chlorine at the city’s hospital the following day, according to a report released by the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Wednesday.

The FFM needed over a year to issue their report in order to account for separate witness testimonies, epidemiological analysis and environmental samples, on which based their conclusions.

It employed investigative methods to determine with a “high degree of confidence” that the chemicals were used. It does not, however, identify who is responsible for the attacks.

The mission was established in 2014 with an on-going mandate “to establish facts surrounding allegations of the use of toxic chemicals, reportedly chlorine, for hostile purposes in the Syrian Arab Republic.”

Last June, the FFM also confirmed that sarin was also used in an attack in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun during which at least 87 people, including children were killed.

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