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Inspection Of Deadly Chemical Weapons Attack In Syria Delayed By Gunfire

REUTERS/Ali Hashisho

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Ryan Pickrell China/Asia Pacific Reporter
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An advance United Nations security team was shot at in Syria ahead of a planned fact-finding mission by chemical weapons inspectors, according to the head of an international chemical weapons watchdog.

An inspection by Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) inspectors was delayed after U.N. security personnel “encountered a security issue” involving protesters and gunfire, Reuters reported, citing sources with knowledge of revelations made by OPCW director-general Ahmet Üzümcü Wednesday at the organization’s headquarters in The Hague.

OPCW refused to provide comment to The Daily Caller News Foundation on operational matters in order to ensure the safety of inspection team.

The U.N. security team was sent in to assess the situation on the ground in Douma before inspectors begin looking carefully at a deadly chemical weapons attack allegedly perpetrated by the Syrian regime on April 7 in the suburbs of Damascus. The attack left dozens of civilians dead and triggered a coalition strike on Syria’s chemical weapons infrastructure.

OPCW says it is unsure when it will be able to enter Douma, the British ambassador to OPCW told Reuters.

The inspection was initially delayed by Russia and Syria, who reportedly refused to allow the chemical weapons team to enter the city. Russia later said that OPCW inspectors would be permitted to enter the city on Wednesday. But, the reported “security issue” is expected to further delay the inspection.

The details of the shooting are unclear, but while Douma was previously a rebel bastion, the city is now under Syrian control.

The U.S. and its international partners are concerned by the delays, arguing that Russia and Syria may use the delays as an opportunity to destroy any evidence of the recent chemical weapons attack. Russia, however, asserts the delays were caused by the coalition strikes and related security concerns while stressing that OPCW should have “unfettered access” to the site of the chemical weapons attack.

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