Chemical inspectors visit 19 Syrian chemical sites

Damascus: A day after experts visited a site in an undisclosed location, the Organisation for the Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Friday said the inspectors have so far visited 19 of Syria`s 23 disclosed sites. "The OPCW inspectors visited a site on Thursday and verified that all of its previous chemical weapon-related equipment has already been dismantled," reported Xinhua citing the OPCW. "This brings to 19 the total number of sites visited by the OPCW inspectors, out of 23 that have been disclosed by Syria," it added. In an earlier statement, the OPCW said that its teams were working with the Syrian authorities to prepare an initial declaration, which will include a general plan to destroy the country`s chemical arsenal. The OPCW noted that inspectors are currently working in three teams with "good access" to sites thus far, adding that state parties are providing the OPCW with lists of former inspectors who are available and willing to be deployed in the Syria mission going forward.