The United States is investigating whether the Syrian government recently used sarin gas in attacks on the opposition, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Friday. Chlorine gas usedMattis told reporters the Syrian government had committed multiple attacks using chlorine gas. Unlike sarin, chlorine gas is relatively easy to produce and is not banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention. Syria had agreed in 2013 to give up its chemical weapons to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). But the UN and the OPCW have said the Syrian government has used sarin and chlorine gas weaponsin the past two years, an accusation Syria has repeatedly denied.

Source: Egypt Independent February 03, 2018 07:41 UTC