Various chlorinated organic chemicals found in samples from Douma attack sites: OPCW

Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-07 01:50:14|Editor: yan
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THE HAGUE, June 6 (Xinhua) -- No organophosphorous nerve agents or their degradation products were detected in the samples taken from alleged casualties of the attack in Douma, Syria on April 7, 2018, but along with explosive residues, various chlorinated organic chemicals were found in samples from two sites, the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced on Friday.

In its interim report on chemical weapons use allegations in Douma, the OPCW fact-finding mission said the OPCW designated labs conducted analysis of prioritized samples and the results show that "no organophosphorous nerve agents or their degradation products were detected in the environmental samples or in the plasma samples taken from alleged casualties".

"Along with explosive residues, various chlorinated organic chemicals were found in samples from two sites, for which there is full chain of custody. Work by the team to establish the significance of these results is on-going. The FFM team will continue its work to draw final conclusions," said the OPCW.

The FFM also issued a report on July 2, 2018, addressing allegations of chemical weapons use in Al-Hamadaniya, Syria on Oct. 30, 2016, and Karm al-Tarrab, Syria on Nov. 13, 2016.

"On the basis of the information received and analysed, the prevailing narrative of the interviews, and the results of the laboratory analyses, the FFM cannot confidently determine whether or not a specific chemical was used as a weapon in the incidents that took place in the neighbourhood of Al-Hamadaniyah and in the area of Karm al-Tarrab," said the OPCW. "The FFM noted that the persons affected in the reported incidents may, in some instances, have been exposed to some type of non-persistent, irritating substance."

Activists, local rescuers and rebels in Syria claim that the Syrian forces used chlorine gas in the attack on April 7 against Douma. The Syrian government has denied the allegations and called it fake news. The West said that the Syrian forces carried out this attack with chemical weapons and launched a retaliatory attack a week later.

Russia said the so-called use of chemical weapons was staged by pseudo-humanitarian NGOs which are nourished by the opponents of the Damascus government in order to deceive the international community and justify their aggression against Syria.

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