{"id":63247,"date":"2018-04-17T04:28:45","date_gmt":"2018-04-17T04:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=63247"},"modified":"2018-04-17T04:28:45","modified_gmt":"2018-04-17T04:28:45","slug":"syria-chemical-attack-investigators-allowed-to-visit-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/news\/syria-chemical-attack-investigators-allowed-to-visit-site.html","title":{"rendered":"Syria chemical attack: Investigators allowed to visit site"},"content":{"rendered":"

Syria chemical attack: Investigators allowed to visit site<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Chemical weapons inspectors in Syria will be permitted to visit the site of an alleged chemical attack on Wednesday, Russia has said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The international team has been in the country since Saturday, but has not been allowed to visit Douma.<\/span><\/p>\n

The attack on 7 April prompted military strikes on Syrian government targets by the US, UK, and France a week later.<\/span><\/p>\n

Syria and its ally Russia deny any chemical attack took place – with Russia calling it a “staged thing”.<\/span><\/p>\n

Early on Tuesday, Syrian state media said the country’s air defences had responded to a missile attack over the western city of Homs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The missiles targeted Shayrat air base, it said – but did not say who fired the missiles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another report, from the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia, said that Syrian air defences had intercepted three missiles targeting Dumair military airport, north-east of the capital Damascus.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Pentagon spokesperson told Reuters: “There is no US military activity in that area at this time.”<\/span><\/p>\n

What is happening in Syria?<\/span><\/p>\n

Early on Saturday morning Syrian time, the US, UK, and France launched a coordinated missile strike on multiple targets in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

The operation was in response to a chemical weapons attack the three nations say was carried out by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which targeted civilians and killed dozens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are in the capital, Damascus – but have been waiting to begin their inspection.<\/span><\/p>\n

When they arrive at the site on Wednesday, it will be 11 days since the attack. They are expected to gather soil and other samples to help identify the substances – if any – used in an attack.<\/span><\/p>\n

The US envoy to the OPCW, however, expressed concern that Russia had visited the site and “may have tampered with it” to impede the investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

But in an interview for BBC’s Hardtalk, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: “I can guarantee that Russia has not tampered with the site.”<\/span><\/p>\n

He said the supposed evidence the US, UK, and France said they had was only “based on media reports and social media” and that such evidence was a “staged thing”.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr Lavrov and others have also criticised the three countries for carrying out the strikes before the OPCW team could conduct their investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

What we know about the ‘chemical attack’<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is there a war in Syria?<\/span><\/p>\n

What is said to have happened in the Douma attack?<\/span><\/p>\n

When the alleged chemical attack took place on 7 April, Douma, in the Eastern Ghouta region, was a final rebel stronghold near the capital Damascus, having endured months of shelling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, it is under the control of the Syrian government and Russian military.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two bombs filled with chemicals were reportedly dropped several hours apart on the town.<\/span><\/p>\n

Syrian medical sources say bodies were found foaming at the mouth, and with discoloured skin and cornea burns.<\/span><\/p>\n

US sources said they had obtained blood and urine samples from victims which had tested positive for chlorine and a nerve agent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Catch up on the aftermath of the air strikes:<\/span><\/p>\n

What was targeted?<\/span><\/p>\n

UK PM faces ‘almighty row’ over strikes<\/span><\/p>\n

Were the Syria air strikes legal?<\/span><\/p>\n

Reality Check: Does Russia always use a veto on Syria?<\/span><\/p>\n

How did the air strikes happen?<\/span><\/p>\n

Late on Friday night in Washington, President Donald Trump addressed the nation, revealing that he had authorised strikes in Syria with the UK and France.<\/span><\/p>\n

As his speech came to a close, the first reports of explosions in Damascus began to emerge.<\/span><\/p>\n

The US says 105 missiles were launched and it believes none were intercepted by Syrian defences. It says Syria’s chemical weapons programme has been set back years.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Russians, however, say 71 missiles were shot down by Syrian systems – many of them older Soviet-era defences.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the three sites hit was the Barzeh complex, which the US says was a centre for development, production and testing of chemical and biological weapons, although Syria denies this.<\/span><\/p>\n

The other two were suspected chemical weapons facilities at Him Shinshar near Homs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-middle-east-43792120<\/span><\/p>\n

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