DHAKA: The international chemical weapons watchdog says it has received ‘the expected’ account by Syria of its chemical arms programme.

The announcement by the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons comes before a deadline set for Damascus as part of a Russia-US deal.

Syria is believed to have around 1,000 tonnes of chemical toxins.

Its entire chemical weapons arsenal is meant to be dismantled by the middle of next year under the terms of the deal.

‘We can confirm that we have received the expected disclosure from the Syrian government regarding its chemical weapons programme,’ the OPCW said, reports the BBC.

‘The Technical Secretariat is currently reviewing the information received,’ the statement added.

On Monday, the UN confirmed in a report that the nerve agent sarin had been used in an attack in the Ghouta district of the capital, Damascus, on 21 August, killing hundreds of people.

The report did not apportion blame, but the US, UK and France have accused Syrian government forces of carrying out the attack, and the US has threatened military action.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has blamed rebel groups, and Syria’s ally, Russia, said it had ‘serious grounds’ to believe the attack had been a provocation by the rebels.

More than 100,000 people have died since the uprising against president Assad began in 2011.

BDST: 1818 HRS, SEPT 21, 2013
RoR/Jck