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3w ago

Transitional Syria and OPCW Recover Dozens of Assad‑Era Chemical Munitions

The discoveries show intact remnants survived the regime’s collapse and require coordinated international action to secure and destroy remaining materials.

FILE - An aerial view of a mass grave where are buried those who were killed by the sarin struck during a 2013 chemical weapons attack that was blamed on then President Bashar Assad's forces, in Zamalka neighbourhood, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, file)
A damaged portrait of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at a military base in Damascus, Syria, December 15, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
A scientific research centre in Damascus bombed by the US after a suspected chemical attack by the Assad regime in 2018. EPA
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Overview

  • Syrian transitional teams working with inspectors reported on Tuesday that they located more than 70 rockets and aerial bombs plus raw ingredients for sarin at multiple undeclared sites.
  • The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said its inspectors visited several high‑priority undeclared locations and found dozens of chemical munitions and related equipment during an ongoing mission.
  • Authorities have detained 18 suspects alleged to be linked to the Assad‑era programme, including former senior military, political and technical officials now under investigation.
  • The operation follows a March plan, backed by Western partners, to locate, secure and eliminate legacy chemical materials and sets up joint disposal, forensic and legal work.
  • International probes since 2013 established that Syria’s forces used sarin, chlorine and mustard gas, and the new finds deepen concerns about undeclared stockpiles and risks to civilians and evidence preservation.