THE HAGUE - The global watchdog tasked with destroying chemical weapons is probing more than 20 reports of the alleged use of toxic arms in Syria since August, its chief told AFP Friday. Uzumcu was speaking exclusively to AFP only hours after the UN Security Council extended the mandate for another year of a special joint UN and OPCW panel to allow them to investigate more reported chemical attacks in Syria. I counted more than 20," said Uzumcu, revealing that even on Thursday the Syrian authorities had sent to the OPCW fresh reports of chemical weapons use against them. The joint panel also found that Islamic State was behind a mustard gas attack in August 2015. It was "poor quality, but still harmful ... and it was weaponised so it's extremely worrying," the OPCW chief said.

Source: Bangkok Post November 18, 2016 15:45 UTC