UN to thoroughly probe seven cases suspected of chemical weapons use in Syria: official

A UN investigative team has found seven potential cases of chemical weapon use in Syria worthy of in-depth investigation, the head of the probe team, known as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)-the United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), told reporters here Monday.

"We are going to start our phase two on the first week in March," said Virginia Gamba, the head of OPCW-UN joint team, after she briefed the UN Security Council on the subject, adding that phase two of the investigation will involve "in-depth investigations of those cases we deem might lead to the identification of perpetrators."

The seven potential cases identified as worthy of further investigation by the investigative mechanism took place between April 2014 and August 2015. Five of the cases took place in Hama governorate, one in Idlib governorate, and one in Aleppo, said Gamba.

These cases were selected as the most suited for further investigation from a total of 116 alleged incidents involving the use of chemicals as weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic, said a report, the first of its kind being reviewed by the 15-nation UN body.

Another alleged incident -- where it was highly possible that sarin gas or a sarin-like substance was used on Feb. 15, 2015 in Darayya -- may also be considered for in-depth investigation, but is still undergoing a review by a fact-finding mission, according to the report.

The OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism was approved by the Security Council in September 2015, some 20 days after the council adopted a resolution in August, to identify the perpetrators of the deadly chlorine gas attacks in Syria. Endit