At least 100 chemical weapons sites remain in Syria

More than 100 chemical weapon sites are estimated to be in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a leading chemical weapons watchdog, calculated the number based on outside research, nonprofits and intelligence shared by member countries.

The estimate could include unsecured stockpiles and is far higher than the 27 sites declared by Assad early in the 14-year civil war. Assad’s government denied ever using chemical weapons, but the OPCW has documented multiple instances they were used until at least 2018.

In a surprise visit to the Hague last month, Syria’s new foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, said his government was committed to destroying any remaining stockpiles of the weapons.

According to the NYT, the government allowed OPCW members into Syria earlier this year to begin documenting the sites.

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