Reuters, UN :
An international inquiry has identified two Syrian Air Force helicopter squadrons and two other military units it holds responsible for chlorine gas attacks on civilians, a Western diplomat said.
The finding by the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the global chemical weapons watchdog, is based on Western and regional intelligence, the diplomat said.
“It was the 22nd Division, the 63rd Brigade and the 255 and 253 squadrons of the Syrian government,” the envoy said.
The identification of specific military institutions responsible for attacks could strengthen a push by some Western members of the UN Security Council for a robust response, focused on sanctions and accountability.
President Bashar al-Assad’s government has denied using toxic gas on the battlefield, and said it will cooperate with the OPCW over accusations it has used poison gas against insurgent-held areas during Syria’s civil war.
Responding to the new finding, a Syrian military source said: “The Syrian state … and we, the Syrian Arab army, have said more than once that the army has not and will not use any banned weapon, especially chemical or poison weapons.”
“This issue is completely void of truth. We consider the United Nations to be a tool in the hands of some countries which support terrorists,” the source said, adding that the UN had not responded to Syrian requests to investigate alleged use of chemical weapons by insurgents.
The year-long joint UN and OPCW inquiry, which is investigating reports of attacks between April 11, 2014 and Aug 21, 2015, is due to submit its fourth report to the UN Security Council next week. The third report, in August, blamed Syrian government troops for two chlorine gas attacks and the militant Islamic State group for using sulfur mustard gas.
It is unclear whether the fourth report will assign blame to individuals. The inquiry has focused on nine attacks in seven areas of Syria, where a separate OPCW fact-finding investigation concluded that it is likely chemical weapons have been used.
Eight of the attacks investigated involved the suspected use of chlorine. The inquiry said it had not yet been able to reach a conclusion in six cases, though it said three of those cases warranted further investigation.
An international inquiry has identified two Syrian Air Force helicopter squadrons and two other military units it holds responsible for chlorine gas attacks on civilians, a Western diplomat said.
The finding by the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the global chemical weapons watchdog, is based on Western and regional intelligence, the diplomat said.
“It was the 22nd Division, the 63rd Brigade and the 255 and 253 squadrons of the Syrian government,” the envoy said.
The identification of specific military institutions responsible for attacks could strengthen a push by some Western members of the UN Security Council for a robust response, focused on sanctions and accountability.
President Bashar al-Assad’s government has denied using toxic gas on the battlefield, and said it will cooperate with the OPCW over accusations it has used poison gas against insurgent-held areas during Syria’s civil war.
Responding to the new finding, a Syrian military source said: “The Syrian state … and we, the Syrian Arab army, have said more than once that the army has not and will not use any banned weapon, especially chemical or poison weapons.”
“This issue is completely void of truth. We consider the United Nations to be a tool in the hands of some countries which support terrorists,” the source said, adding that the UN had not responded to Syrian requests to investigate alleged use of chemical weapons by insurgents.
The year-long joint UN and OPCW inquiry, which is investigating reports of attacks between April 11, 2014 and Aug 21, 2015, is due to submit its fourth report to the UN Security Council next week. The third report, in August, blamed Syrian government troops for two chlorine gas attacks and the militant Islamic State group for using sulfur mustard gas.
It is unclear whether the fourth report will assign blame to individuals. The inquiry has focused on nine attacks in seven areas of Syria, where a separate OPCW fact-finding investigation concluded that it is likely chemical weapons have been used.
Eight of the attacks investigated involved the suspected use of chlorine. The inquiry said it had not yet been able to reach a conclusion in six cases, though it said three of those cases warranted further investigation.
