OPCW Confirms Syria Destroyed Chemical Weapon Production Facility

MOSCOW, February 3 (Sputnik) — The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed on Tuesday that Syria destroyed the first of 12 chemical weapon production facilities in the country.

Destruction was completed on 31 January. OPCW inspectors verified and declared the structure as destroyed, the organization said in a statement published on its website.

“I welcome the destruction of the first facility, which had been delayed due to some technical reasons. I am hopeful that remaining destruction activities will proceed according to the plan,” OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu said as quoted in the statement.

According to the statement, 98 percent of Syrian chemical weapons were destroyed, with 29 metric tons of Syrian hydrogen fluoride remaining to be destroyed at British and US holding facilities.

Syria joined the OPCW after a sarin gas attack near Damascus killed over 1,000 people in August 2013. The Syrian government and rebel forces have traded blame for the attack.

Following the incident, some 1,400 metric tons of designated chemical-weapons material were removed from the country. Syria is now dismantling underground bunkers, tunnels and hangars where chemical agents and precursor materials were produced and stored.