Syria says remnants of Assad regime’s chemical weapons program discovered

Syrian authorities have discovered remnants linked to the chemical weapons program of the former Bashar al-Assad regime, including munitions similar to those used in previous chemical attacks in Eastern Ghouta and Hama, according to Syria’s representation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Syria’s state news agency SANA reported Tuesday that ongoing search and investigation operations led to the identification of sites connected to the program.

According to the statement, Syrian expert teams specializing in hazardous materials found air-dropped and surface-to-surface munitions similar to those used in attacks carried out by the former regime in 2013 and 2017.

Authorities also discovered materials used in the production of sarin gas, along with mixing and storage equipment and other chemical substances that are still being analyzed.

The Syrian representation to the OPCW said all seized munitions, equipment and substances were transferred to specialized facilities designated for storing chemical materials after verification by inspection teams affiliated with the OPCW Technical Secretariat.

The statement said authorities found 54 aerial bombs similar to those used in the 2017 attack on the Latamneh area in Hama governorate as well as 25 surface-to-surface munitions resembling those used in the 2013 Eastern Ghouta attack.

Syrian authorities also announced the detention of 18 people allegedly linked to the former regime’s chemical weapons program.

Those detained reportedly include senior military officers, former experts from the Scientific Studies and Research Center and officers from the security unit responsible for the chemical weapons program.

The Assad regime had repeatedly been accused by international organizations and Western governments of using chemical weapons during Syria’s civil war, allegations Damascus had consistently denied before Assad’s overthrow.

*Writing by Sahin Demir in Istanbul