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OPCW analyzing samples collected after alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria

OPCW director general says mission investigating into Khan Shaykhun incident to complete work in two to three weeks

THE HAGUE, April 13. /TASS/. The Fact-Finding Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) needs two to three weeks to complete its work concerning the investigation into the alleged chemical weapons incident in the Syrian town of Khan Shaykhun, OPCW Director General Ahmet Uzumcu said on Thursday.

During the OPCW Executive Council’s meeting held in The Hague, Uzumcu "shared with the Executive Council the immediate steps taken by Technical Secretariat experts to analyze the available information and their preliminary assessment that this was a credible allegation," the OPCW said in a statement.

"The OPCW Fact-Finding Mission has focused its work to investigate the incident in Khan Shaykhun and that it has collected samples, which have been sent to OPCW Designated Laboratories for analysis," the statement reads. "OPCW experts are currently analyzing all information gathered from various sources."

According to the statement, "the Director General reiterated his call for States Parties that are in a position to do so to share with the Secretariat any relevant information without delay and allow the FFM to complete its work within the next two to three weeks."

"The Executive Council has suspended the meeting and decided to reconvene next week to continue discussions on the alleged incident," the statement concludes.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on April 4, the Syrian air force delivered an airstrike on several militant facilities in the Idlib Governorate, where munitions filled with poisonous substances were being made. However, Washington came to a conclusion that Damascus had used chemical weapons which led the US to carry out a missile attack on a Syrian military air base located in the Homs Governorate.

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