Syria begins destroying al-Assad-era chemical weapons materials

What the report says

Syria has started destroying leftover chemical weapons materials linked to the era of former President Bashar al-Assad, according to Syrian officials and the United Nations. The work includes raw materials, empty munitions and other equipment associated with the country’s long-running chemical weapons programme. UN disarmament official Izumi Nakamitsu told the Security Council that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had verified destruction in Syria for the first time since 2014.

The article says Syria’s new leadership identified remnants of the programme in May, including an additional production facility, a newly discovered chemical used in making nerve agents and more empty chemical munitions. It also reported that the OPCW recently sent a team to verify the destruction of category-three items, including 42 aerial bombs. Syria’s envoy to the UN, Ibrahim Olabi, described the effort as the first destruction process on Syrian soil since the fall of the previous regime.

The development matters because Syria’s chemical weapons file has been a central issue in international inspections and accountability efforts since the civil war. As reported by Al Jazeera, Syrian authorities have also detained 18 suspects over alleged involvement in the programme, and they are preparing an initial court hearing. Olabi also said Israeli strikes had complicated some search-and-destruction work, though that claim reflects Syria’s position as presented at the UN briefing.