Baladi - Agencies
AFP reported that experts from global chemical weapons watchdog visited a second site in the Syrian town of Douma on Wednesday as they prob an alleged gas attack earlier this month, the body said.
The OPCW stated that FFM (fact-finding mission) team carried out a visit to a second location in Douma. It also collected samples at this site.
It's the team second visit to the city after managing to gain access to Douma on Saturday for the first time since deployed to Damascus on April 14.
Along with the first samples taken at the weekend, all the evidence collected in Douma will be brought back to OPCW's labs on the outskirts of The Hague.
"They will be split and dispatched for analysis be the OPCW designated labs," the body said.
The watchdog also confirmed that Russian diplomats are organising a briefing on Thursday in The Hague for OPCW member nations and would "bring some Syrians to speak about the reported Douma incident," according to AFP.
The Russian embassy in the Netherlands said in a tweet that the briefing would involve "witnesses from Syria who were at the staged videos of White Helmets."
The OPCW said it had urged the Russian delegation to allow its experts to interview the witnesses first, and to hold the briefing "once the FFM has completed its work".
"Nevertheless, the Russian delegation stated that it would go ahead with the briefing and that its intention was not to interfere with the FFM’s work," the OPCW statement added.
Source: AFP