OPCW: American Backed Groups Use Chemical Weapons in Syria Not Gov’t Forces
TEHRAN (FNA) – The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has confirmed the traces of the sarin gas used in Syria are not linked with the Syrian government’s former stockpile of chemical weapons, a report by the OPCW said Friday.
The report corroborates the Syrian government’s assertions that the faction responsible for the chemical attack, as well as 11 other instances of chemical weapons use, was the Syrian opposition, masddar reported.
The report also substantiates last month’s claims from Ahmed al-Gaddafi al-Qahsi, cousin of Muammar Gaddafi, who said that the chemical weapons used in the incident had been stolen from Libya and later smuggled into Syria via Turkey by militants.
The announcement follows an investigation carried out by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the request of the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian government.
“In one instance, analysis of some blood samples indicates that individuals were at some point exposed to sarin or a sarin-like substance” said Ahmet Uzumcu, the head of the OPCW.
When the devastating sarin gas incident left some 1400 civilians dead in East Ghouta in 2013, the United States, European Union and Arab League were quick to accuse Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian military of utilizing its chemical weapons to combat the militant groups in the Syrian capital.
Subsequently, the Syrian government agreed with Russia and the US administration to have its stockpile safely demolished in Norway. Less than a month ago, it was announced that the entirety of the chemical stockpile had been safely disposed of.
Prior to the 2013 attack, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported that the Syrian Army had seized chemical gas equipment from a militant field hospital in the Western port city of Lattakia.
It cited a field commander stating that the nature of the equipment suggested militants had been planning to carry out chemical or biological attacks and blame the government.
“By making an instrumental use of the ISIL to fight wars on behalf of them, the West is looking for further penetration into the region through waging proxy wars,” General Izadi said on Thursday night, addressing a ceremony in the Northeastern Khorassan Razavi province.
He also warned against the US’s increasing support for the terrorist groups, specially the ISIL, in the region.
In relevant remarks in May, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan blasted the US for hiring the ISIL terrorist group to fight proxy wars against the regional states.
“The crimes committed by the ISIL terrorist grouplet and whatever created under the name of Takfiri groups in the region are proxy acts by the US,” Dehqan said.
Warning that the US and the Zionist regime were always after striking Islam, he said, “Unfortunately, certain Islamic countries have been fooled by the enemies and are acting in compliance with the plots hatched by the US and the Quds Occupying Regime.”
Dehqan also warned that the US was attempting to create rift among Muslims and coax them into fighting against each other with the help of the terrorist groups, including the ISIL.
Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured in heavy clashes with the Syrian troops and also during the Russian assaults.
The Syrian army captured several other strategic heights in the mountainous regions of Lattakia province after hours of fierce battle earlier today.
“The Syrian army troops and the country’s National Defense Forces (NDF) continue to advance against the terrorist groups North of Lattakia and took back Heights 292, 296 and 387,” the army said.
“The pro-government forces also won back the Heights 465, 342 and 489 near the newly-liberated village of al-Sarraf,” the army added.
“Daghdaghan Farm, 60 kilometers to the North of Lattakia, came also under control of the Syrian government forces,” the army said.
“Daghdaghan Farm was a one of the main centers of the militant groups used for storing weapons, ammunition and equipment coming from Turkey to make chemical weapons,” the army added.
On Thursday, the Syrian army and the NDF crushed terrorists groups in Lattakia and won back new areas in the province, including several strategic heights, in a move seen by military analysts as a groundbreaking victory near the Turkish border.
The Syrian soldiers and the NDF took full control over Rweiset Abu Ghannam, Rweiset al-Sheikh Salman, al-Hara Mount, Bait Fares Mount and a number of strategic hills in the Northern part of Lattakia.
According to military sources, tens of militants were killed and tens of others were wounded in the large-scale operations of Syrian army and its allies in the Coastal Province.
Following the huge victories of the Syrian forces on Thursday, scores of Takfiri terrorists fled their positions in areas near the recently-captured regions in Lattakia province for fear of the government troops’ continued offensives on their positions.
The pro-government forces stormed the village of Um Sharhsouh, 10 kilometers North of the city of Homs and two kilometers to West of the M5 highway, killed a large number of terrorists and destroyed their military equipment.
Sources said earlier today that the Syrian Army has launched massive operations in Homs province.
“The ISIL defense lines in the ancient Assyrian town of Quaryatayn have been under heavy attack by the Syrian army and the National Defense Forces (NDF), which have left many terrorists dead or wounded,” the army said.
“In the meantime, the pro-government forces have done a great job in targeting and destroying the militant groups’ centers near Talbiseh in the Northern part of province since the early hours of this morning, causing heavy losses on the militants,” the army added.
“The ISIL defense lines in the ancient Assyrian town of Quaryatayn have been under heavy attack by the Syrian army and the National Defense Forces (NDF), which have left many terrorists dead or wounded,” the army said.
“In the meantime, the pro-government forces have done a great job in targeting and destroying the militant groups’ centers near Talbiseh in the Northern part of province since the early hours of this morning, causing heavy losses on the militants,” the army added.
On Thursday, the Syrian army struck heavy blows at the Takfiri militants in Homs province amid reports of intensified air attacks on the terrorist’ positions.
The Syrian warplanes bombed militants’ positions in the ancient city of Palmyra, while the army also fired artillery shells at terrorists’ positions in the cities of Quaryatayn and al-Houla.
The Syrian army thwarted an attempt by ISIL terrorists to attack a military checkpoint in the al-Bayarat al-Gharbiya area in the countryside of Palmyra in Homs, killing and injuring a group of terrorists, the sources added.
The army also repelled an ISIL attack in Jubb al-Jarrah, leaving a group of terrorists dead and injured.
“The ISIL launched an offensive at the Deir Ezzur airbase around the Southeastern perimeter of this large military base in Eastern Syria,” the army said.
“Launching their preliminary assault from the strategic hilltop of Tal Kroum near the Eastern bank of the Euphrates River, hundreds of the ISIL fighters stormed the Syrian army’s frontline positions at the Southeastern perimeter of the airbase, where they attempted to break past the first line of defense of the government forces and reach the security outposts,” the army added.
“However, the ISIL’s offensive was short-lived, as the Syrian army alongside the National Defense Forces (NDF) fought off the terrorists attempting to bypass their first line of defense near Tal Kroum,” the army went on to say.
“The ISIL lost 33 fighters during their massive assault on the Syrian army’s defenses; these losses – coupled with the government forces advance at the Al-Thayyem Oilfields – have made this week a disaster for the terrorist group,” the army went on to say.
The Syrian Army troops and their popular allies inflicted tens of casualties on invading ISIL militants after their positions around Deir Ezzur airbase came under massive attacks by the terrorist group for a second day on Friday.
“The ISIL terrorists carried out an approximately large-scale offensive against the government forces’ positions from the villages of al-Mura’yeh, Haweija Saker, al-Jafreh and Dagheem to crush their defense lines and open their way into the strategic airbase of Deir Ezzur,” provincial sources said on Friday.
“The army and its popular allies mainly form the NDF thwarted the attack and forced the ISIL to retreat forces from the battlefield after leaving behind scores of casualties,” they added.
On Thursday, the Syrian army thwarted an ISIL attack on Deir Ezzur military airport, leaving a group of terrorists dead and injured.
“The Syrian army repelled an ISIL attack on Deir Ezzur military airport,” sources said.
The clashes left a group of ISIL terrorists dead and injured.
Meanwhile, the army killed a number of ISIL terrorists in battles in al-Sina’ah neighborhood in Deir Ezzur city.
“The Syrian army and the National Defense Forces (NDF) continued to hunt the militants near Sheikh Meskeen,” the army said today almost a week after the conquest of the strategic city where al-Nusra Front, FSA and other terrorist groups lost hundreds of militants before withdrawing from the region.
“The militant groups’ armed vehicles and hardware were also destroyed in the attack,” the army added.
Earlier reports said that the Syrian Army troops and their popular allies advanced against the terrorist groups close to the border with Jordan in the Dara’a province for the first time in several months.
“The Syrian army and the NDF have advanced to the final border point in the al-Manshiyeh Quarter of Dara’a City before reaching the Nayef border-crossing to the Jordanian province of ‘Irbid,” the sources said.
“Overwhelmed and exhausted, the militants issued a distress call to their allies in the region to help them beat back the advancing government forces,” they added.
“After months of fighting with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the provincial capital of Dara’a, the Syrian army’s 5th Armored Division is finally within a few hundred meters of the Jordanian-Syrian border-crossing,” the sources said.
“The Eastern side of Mashara village near the Southwestern city of Quneitra was the scene of the Syrian army men’s special operation against the militant groups,” the army said.
“The army’s attack was so heavy that the militant groups preferred to pull back forces from the battlefield after leaving behind scores of dead and wounded members,” the army added.
On Tuesday, the militant groups’ concentration centers in the Northern and Northeastern parts of Quneitra province were massively shelled by the Syrian army’s artillery and missile units.
The militants’ military grid, including a tank, were targeted in the Syrian army’s missile-shelling in al-Hamidiyah in the Northern part of the province.
In the meantime a provincial source said that the tanks’ crew were also killed or wounded in the attack.
“The Syrian artillery also shelled heavily al-Nusra Front’s positions in the towns of al-Hamidiyah and the surroundings of al-Samdaniyah al-Gharbiyah in the Northeastern part of Quneitra province, killing many terrorists and wounding some others,” the source said.
“The Syrian army and the National Defense Forces (NDF) have advanced to the final border point in the al-Manshiyeh Quarter of Dara’a City before reaching the Nayef border-crossing to the Jordanian province of ‘Irbid,” the sources said.
“Overwhelmed and exhausted, the militants issued a distress call to their allies in the region to help them beat back the advancing government forces,” they added.
“After months of fighting with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the provincial capital of Dara’a, the Syrian army’s 5th Armored Division is finally within a few hundred meters of the Jordanian-Syrian border-crossing,” the sources said.
On Thursday, the Syrian army killed a large group of terrorists of al-Nusra Front and its allies in the recently-captured town of Sheikh Meskeen in Dara’a province amid reports of heavy airstrikes and artillery shelling.
A group of terrorists of al-Nusra Front and its allies were killed in clashes with the Syrian army in Sheikh Meskeen town in Dara’a as the Syrian warplanes pounded militants’ concentration centers in the town.
The Syrian airstrikes also bombed terrorists’ positions in Nawa city.
The news comes as the Syrian army conducted artillery attacks against militants’ concentration centers in Tafas town.
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