Russian Lawmaker Prompts OPCW to Launch Idlib Attack Probe in Coming Days

A Russian lawmaker has called on the experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to launch an investigation into the chemical strikes in Syria's Idlib province in the upcoming days.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The international investigation into the chemical incident in Syrian Idlib province by the experts of the OPCW should be started in the near future, Yevgeny Serebrennikov, the deputy chair of the Russian upper house of parliament’s Committee on Defense and Security told Sputnik on Friday.

“Even though some experts say that the probe could be carried out during several months, the issue is so crucial and urgent that it should be started literally today or tomorrow,” Serebrennikov said.

Serebrennikov stressed that all the member countries of the UN Security Council should send their representatives to Syria "in order to make an objective conclusion” about the incident.

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia, Syria and Iran insisted on a thorough investigation under the OPCW auspices into the Idlib incident.

The suspected chemical attack in Idlib occurred on April 4 and killed over 80 people. The West has blamed the incident on the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Moscow has demanded a proper international investigation into the incident.

The Syrian authorities have denied using chemical weapons and stated the government did not possess such weapons.