UN mission starts chemical weapon probe in Damascus countryside

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UN mission starts chemical weapon probe in Damascus countryside

(Xinhua) 18:12, August 26, 2013

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DAMASCUS, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The UN inspectors started on Monday their fact-finding activities in a site near Damascus of an alleged chemical weapons attack, according to a Xinhua reporter.

The team started its mission in the Eastern al-Ghouta area in the suburb of Damascus, a day after the Syrian government granted it access to the site of the attack, which the rebels said was launched by the government forces.

On Aug. 21, the Syrian opposition claimed 1,300 people were killed in a chemical weapon attack carried out by the government army on militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus. The Syrian government strongly denied the accusation.

The attack took place two days after a group of UN inspectors began an investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in the northern Khan al-Assal town and two other undisclosed locations. The Damascus government accused the rebels of being behind the chemical attack in Khan al-Assal and urged the UN to send the investigation team.

The Syrian civil war, which began in March 2011 between government forces and armed opposition seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad, has led to the killings of more than 93,000 people and forced more than 1.7 million people to flee the country.

（Editor：LiangJun、Zhang Qian）