Germany Has No Info on Damascus Using Chemical Weapons Amid Ceasefire

The German Defense Ministry does not have any information on the Syrian army using chemical and toxic substances during the current ceasefire, according to a spokesperson.

BERLIN (Sputnik) – The German Defense Ministry does not have any information on allegations of the Syrian army using chemical weapons during ceasefire, a spokesperson said Monday.

Earlier this month, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon accused the Syrian government forces of using chemical weapons against civilians during the current ceasefire.

"The German Defense Ministry does not have any information on the Syrian army using chemical and toxic substances during the current ceasefire," the spokesperson told RIA Novosti.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups, such as Islamic State, which is banned in several countries, including Russia.

On February 22, Russia and the United States reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2268 endorsing the Russia-US agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Syria on February 26, shortly before the ceasefire came into force. The ceasefire took effect on February 27.

In 2013, a massive chemical weapons attack was carried out in the Syrian suburb of Ghouta which killed more than 1,300 civilians. Both the Syrian government and the militant factions that oppose it blamed one another for the attack.

A mission to eliminate Syria's chemical arsenal was announced after the deadly 2013 gas attack. The Syrian government placed its chemical weapons under international control on Russia’s urging.