RIA Novosti
October 7, 2013
Syrians have destroyed a part of their chemical weapons stockpile
under the supervision of the global chemical weapons watchdog, the UN
said on Sunday.
Earlier on Sunday agencies reported that experts from Organization
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had reportedly begun
dismantling the country’s chemical arsenal.
“The process of destroying Syria’s chemical weapons program began
today,” the UN press service and the Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in a joint statement.
“Syrian personnel used cutting torches and angle grinders to destroy
or disable a range of items. This included missile warheads, aerial
bombs and mixing and filling equipment,” the statement reads.
The process will continue in the coming days.
Last week, a group of 19 OPCW inspectors and 12 UN officials arrived
in Syria. Its members are from Russia, the United States, the United
Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, China, Canada, the Netherlands
and Tunisia.
A military source in Damascus told RIA Novosti earlier on Sunday that
14 experts are expected to join the team next week, and the total
number will reach 100 in three or four weeks.
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