No nerve agents but maybe chlorine used in Douma, says watchdog

The world's chemical arms watchdog said today it had found no evidence of nerve gas after an attack on the Syrian town of Douma, but chlorine may have been used.


A team of inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons took more than 100 samples from some seven sites in Douma when they gained access to the town several weeks after the 7 April attack.

"The results show that no organophosphorous nerve agents or their degradation products were detected," the OPCW said in an interim report this evening.

But it added that the fact-finding mission also found "along with explosive residues, various chlorinated organic chemicals".

It is understood that could mean some samples contained what may be potential markers of exposure to an active source of chlorine, not found naturally in the environment.

"Work by the team to establish the significance of these results is ongoing," the OPCW added.
   (rte)
 6/7/18