13/12/2013 18:57
UN confirms chemical arms were used in Syria attacks
Chemical weapons were likely used in five out of seven attacks investigated by UN experts in Syria, where a 2.5-year civil war has killed over 100,000 people, according to a UN report published on Thursday. In two cases, the weapons affected soldiers, and in a third, soldiers and civilians, the report says, according to the Voice of Russia.
Experts investigated seven instances of alleged use and found that chemical weapons were either used, or likely used, in five of those instances.
The case that was most clear to inspectors was an August incident near the capital, Damascus.
"The United Nations Mission concludes that chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic," the final report by chief UN investigator Ake Sellstrom said.
Blood and urine samples from patients there tested positive for sarin and sarin signatures, it found.
The report noted that in several cases the victims included soldiers and civilians, though it was not always possible to establish with certainty any direct links between the attacks, the victims and the alleged sites of the incidents.
UN inspectors also said they collected credible information, or evidence consistent with the probable use of chemical weapons, in Khan al Asal, Jobar, Saraqueb and Ashrafiah Sahnaya.
However, the report does not attribute blame for the attacks, as this was beyond the mandate given the team by the UN Security Council.
The United Nations estimates that more than 100,000 people overall have died since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011.