Chemical weapons watchdog preparing team to visit Syria, investigate attack

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Tuesday said it was preparing a team to visit Syria on a fact-finding mission to investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta over the weekend.

Although no timeline has been given for the investigation, both the Syrian regime and Russia said they would welcome a visit by OPCW experts to the sites around Douma where the chemical attack was reportedly launched.

According to rescue workers, at least 50 people had died, and hundreds of others were injured.

The use of chemical weapons is prohibited in accordance with international law and is considered a war crime.

The attack has sparked a reaction from several nations opposed to the Syrian regime, including the United States, France, and the United Kingdom who all voiced their concern and warned of a swift response.

US President Donald Trump canceled a trip to Latin America on Tuesday, with White House officials explaining he would stay in Washington “to oversee the US response to Syria.”

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will meet later today to vote on a resolution to set up an inquiry to investigate chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

A UN official on Tuesday said at least 700,000 Syrians had been forced to escape their homes in 2018 due to ongoing clashes in several areas of the country.

The Syrian conflict has been ongoing since 2011 despite international efforts to end it. The war has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions of Syrians.