UN Security Council asks int'l community to help Libya destroy chemical weapons

The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution to ask the international community to assist Libya in destroying chemical weapons.

The 15-nation council has authorized member states to acquire, control, transport, transfer and destroy chemical weapons to eliminate Libya's chemical weapons stockpile "in the soonest and safest manner."

The resolution came after the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) made its decision on Wednesday to help Libya to develop a modified plan on chemical weapon destruction.

On July 16, Libya has informed the OPCW that its remaining chemical weapons have been moved to a storage site in the north of the country, and requested assistance from the organization to destroy them.

The Security Council said "the potential for acquisition by non-State actors of chemical weapons in Libya represents a threat to international peace and security," and therefore it made the decision to keep the chemical weapons off the hands of terrorist groups.

Libya has been beset by chaos after former leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled during the 2011 political turmoil. The Islamic State (IS) has been continued to exploit the country's political divisions to assert control over territories in Libya.

Earlier this year, a UN report said Libya has become 3to foreign terrorist fighters who mainly arrive through Sudan, Tunisia and Turkey. Enditem