The OPCW specialists have returned from Douma where they were gathering the samples and evaluating the situation. After the thorough research, the chemical weapons inspectors will consider future steps including another possible visit to Douma, ITV reported.
According to medical workers and activists in Douma at the time, at least 40 people were killed during a gas attack. The UN security team touring Douma on Tuesday came under small arms and explosives fire, leading the OPCW to postpone its visit.
The samples collected in Douma will be transported to the OPCW Laboratory in Rijswijk and then dispatched for analysis to the OPCW’s designated labs. The US, France, and Britain blamed the Syrian government for the attack and struck suspected Syrian chemical weapons facilities one week later.
While both Russia and Syria have insisted there is no proof that chemical weapons had even been used in Douma, the US and Britain accused Assad’s government and Moscow of delaying the investigation to stage a cover-up. Photos that emerged from Douma in the hours after the attack showed lifeless bodies collapsed in crowded rooms, some with foam around their noses and mouths.
The Syrian government official insisted that they have not at any point hindered the OPCW as the chemical weapons inspectors have attempted to enter Douma since at least Sunday, April 15th when they first arrived in Damascus. According to the official, OPCW inspectors were in Douma for about 10 hours.
