Chlorine used in attack on Syria’s Douma: Chemical agency

The global chemical weapons watchdog said it found “reasonable grounds” that chlorine was used as a weapon in a deadly attack on the Syrian town of Douma last year.

The determination was contained in a detailed report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ fact finding mission that investigated the April 7, 2018 attack. Medical workers said at the time that the attack killed more than 40 people, AP reported.

The mission’s mandate does not include laying blame.

In a statement, the OPCW said the mission visited Douma, analyzed samples taken from the scene and from people affected, interviewed witnesses and studied toxicological and ballistics analyses.

The investigators were delayed by several days from reaching the scene by security concerns, leading to fears that evidence could degrade or be cleaned up.

However, the data they eventually amassed and studied provided “reasonable grounds that the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon” took place, the OPCW said.

“This toxic chemical contained reactive chlorine. The toxic chemical was likely molecular chlorine.”

The United States, Britain and France blamed Syrian government forces and launched airstrikes. Syria denied responsibility. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the time that the chemical attack was staged by foreign agents.

A spokesman for Russia’s Defense Ministry accused the UK of being involved in staging the attack.

Douma was the final target of the government’s sweeping campaign to seize back control of the eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus from terrorists after seven years of war. Terrorists gave up the town days after the alleged attack. The OPCW said the report has been sent to the United Nations Security Council.

Russia, a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, rejected claims that Syria was responsible for the attack and even brought what it called witnesses to The Hague to describe their experiences.

In a tweet Friday, the Russian Embassy in The Hague said the OPCW reached its finding, “in spite of all the evidence presented by Russia, Syria, and even British journalists that the Douma incident is no more than ‘White helmets’ staged provocation.”