No Genuine Data that Syrian Authorities Use Chemical Weapons: Patrushev

MOSCOW- There is no evidence that Syrian authorities use chemical weapons against armed groups in Syria, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said, according to the Voice of Russia website.

“The United States and some other countries have recently been stating their concerns over the use of chemical weapons in Syria. “We still do not have any real evidence and facts of its use by government forces,” Patrushev said.

” Syrian authorities every time refuted suspicions of our Western colleagues and stated publically that they do not use chemical weapons in their military operations. However, we have not heard similar statements from the illegal armed groups,” he said.

Russian journalists have proof Syrian gunmen used chemical weapons

According to the same website, Russian journalists who were on assignment in Syria have handed the United Nations Secretariat videos showing chemical weapons attacks committed by armed groups in Aleppo on March 19. This was confirmed by the Assistant spokesman for the Secretary General of the UN Farhan Haq.

He said that the information will be passed along to Oke Selstemu, the head of the group of experts investigating the possible use of weapons of mass destruction in Syria.

In late March, Damascus notified the UN Secretariat of the chemical attacks carried out by armed groups.

In a report, RTR journalist Anastasia Popova confirmed the use of toxic substances in Khan al-Asal area of rural Aleppo. Apart from footage of the event, there were eyewitness accounts, reports from doctors who took care of the dead and injured and statements from experts from the University of Aleppo.

The Syrian government has requested the United Nations to conduct an honest and transparent investigation about the use of chemical weapons by armed terrorist groups in Aleppo.

H. Mustafa