GENEVA: Chemical weapons used in two incidents in Syria last year appear to come from the stockpiles of the Syrian military, UN human rights investigators said on Wednesday in a report that went beyond previous findings.
The team of independent experts, led by Brazilian Paulo Pinheiro, said that so far they had confirmed the deadly nerve agent sarin was used in three incidents: the Damascus suburb of Al-Ghouta on Aug. 21, in Khan Al-Assal near Aleppo in March 2013 and in Saraqeb near the northern town of Idlib last April.
The first two attacks bore "the same unique hallmarks", according to the team of some two dozen investigators who include a military advisor.
"The evidence available concerning the nature, quality and quantity of the agents used on 21 August indicated that the perpetrators likely had access to the chemical weapons stockpile of the Syrian military, as well as the expertise and equipment necessary to manipulate safely large amount of chemical agents," the UN investigators said in the report.
"Concerning the incident in Khan Al-Assal on 19 March, the chemical agents used in that attack bore the same unique hallmarks as those used in Al-Ghouta," it said.
