UN probes chemical weapons in Aleppo,says Ki-moon (2)

The UN is to investigate the use of chemical weapons in an attack in Syria, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has announced.

The investigation will focus on an incident in Khan al-Assal, Aleppo province, when Damascus says terrorist groups  used chemical weapons.

On Wednesday Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, Bashar Jaafari, said he had asked Mr Ban to form a “specialised, independent and neutral technical mission to investigate the use of the terrorist groups operating in Syria of chemical weapons yesterday against civilians”.

Earlier,Russia hopes the United Nations will respond to Syria’s request to look into allegations of the use of chemical weapons during fighting between terrorists  and government forces, a senior Foreign Ministry official said on Thursday.

“We expect that the UN secretary general will promptly react to Syria’s request to investigate the use of chemical weapons on March 19,” Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov wrote on his Twitter.

“It is important to form a neutral and professional team of experts who can present unbiased conclusions,” twetted Gatilov, Russia’s point man on the Middle East.

Syrian state media reports said that at least 25 people died and 110 more were seriously injured.

Syria’s envoy to the UN, Bashar Jaafari, said on Wednesday that he had asked the UN chief, Ban Ki Moon, to approve an investigation into the reports.

M.D