Rebels in southern Syria have reached out to the Organization for the Prohibition on Chemical Weapons (OPCW) seeking assistance in safely disposing of a cache of chemical weapons amassed by President Bashar al-Assad's regime. In a statement released on Saturday, the southern Syrian rebels expressed the grave impact of the use of internationally banned weapons by Assad's regime on innocent civilians, emphasizing the blatant disregard for international conventions and humanitarian principles.
The rebels have urged the international community to aid in the complete elimination of all weapons of mass destruction from Syria. They have also expressed their willingness to collaborate with the OPCW and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, to investigate the programs and stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction under Assad's regime.
However, the statement did not confirm whether the southern rebels had gained control of the weapons stockpiles at the time of its issuance. The request for assistance in disposing of the chemical weapons underscores the ongoing challenges posed by the remnants of Syria's chemical warfare capabilities and the urgent need for international cooperation to address this critical issue.
