This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24754460
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Syria chemical weapons equipment destroyed, says OPCW | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Syria's declared equipment for producing, mixing and filling chemical weapons has been destroyed, sources with the international watchdog say. | Syria's declared equipment for producing, mixing and filling chemical weapons has been destroyed, sources with the international watchdog say. |
| An announcement by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is expected later - a day before its deadline which Syria had to meet. | An announcement by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is expected later - a day before its deadline which Syria had to meet. |
| Inspectors were sent to Syria following allegations that government forces had used chemical weapons in civilian areas, killing scores of people. | Inspectors were sent to Syria following allegations that government forces had used chemical weapons in civilian areas, killing scores of people. |
| The government denies the accusations. | The government denies the accusations. |
| The inspections were agreed between Russia and the US after Washington threatened to use force in Syria. | The inspections were agreed between Russia and the US after Washington threatened to use force in Syria. |
| Arsenal | |
| Now that the equipment has been put beyond use, Syria has until mid-2014 to destroy the chemical weapons themselves. | |
| Its arsenal is believed to include more than 1,000 tonnes of the nerve gas sarin, the blister agent sulphur mustard and other banned chemicals, stored at dozens of sites. | |
| "Syria has completed rendering inoperable its chemical weapons production and assembly installations," an OPCW source told the AFP news agency. | |
| According to a document seen by the Reuters news agency, OPCW teams have inspected 21 of the 23 chemical weapons sites in Syria. | |
| The other two were too dangerous to visit but the equipment had already been moved to some of the other sites, the document said. | |
| The US says more than 1,400 people were killed during a nerve agent attack in Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus on 21 August. | The US says more than 1,400 people were killed during a nerve agent attack in Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus on 21 August. |
| Syria and Russia believe rebel groups were responsible for the attack. | Syria and Russia believe rebel groups were responsible for the attack. |