Syria Recovers Chemical Weapon Remnants

Syria Recovers Chemical Weapon Remnants

Syria's transitional government has located remnants of former President Bashar al-Assad's clandestine chemical weapons program, including raw materials and munitions, a Syrian official announced on Tuesday, May 26, from Amsterdam. This discovery follows a joint effort with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations to eliminate legacy weapons of mass destruction.

The recovered materials include over 70 rockets and aerial bombs, alongside raw ingredients for sarin nerve agent production, found at three undisclosed sites in Syria's northern coastal and central regions. These munitions are similar to those used in deadly gas attacks during the Syrian civil war, specifically the 2013 Ghouta and 2017 Al-Lataminah incidents. Additionally, chemical weapon mixing and storage equipment, and hexamine, a sarin stabilization agent, were discovered.

In connection with the program, Syrian authorities have detained 18 individuals, including former high-ranking military, political, and technical officials from the Assad regime. Several of these individuals were reportedly on European, UK, or U.S. sanctions lists. Syria, now allied with Western nations, initiated a Washington-backed plan in March to dismantle its remaining chemical weapons capabilities, with the OPCW continuing its inspection mission across approximately 100 identified sites.