Idlib Chemical Attack Probe Mission Should Include Iran, Turkey Reps - Moscow

The mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate the alleged chemical attack in Syria's Idlib province should include representatives of all the UN Security Council members, as well as the guarantor countries of the ceasefire - Iran and Turkey, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russian and Western experts should be part of a team investigating the reported April 4 chemical attack in Syria's Idlib province.

The mission "should include specialists from all countries that can realistically assess… the developments, study the place. These are all permanent members of the UN Security Council, a number of other countries, including the states with which we jointly act as guarantors of the Astana process — Turkey, Iran and many others," Ryabkov said.

Syrian opposition claimed on April 4 forces loyal to President Bashar Assad had used a chemical gas on people in the northwestern province, killing nearly 80 and injuring 200. Assad argued his government has no chemical weapons after agreeing to have them destroyed in 2013. He also ruled out having used chemicals against own people.

The Russian Defense Ministry said next day that the airstrike near Khan Shaykhun was carried out by Syrian aircraft, which struck a terrorist warehouse that stored chemical weapons slated for delivery to Iraq.