The United Nations has announced that an independent probe is to be launched into the reported chemical attacks in Syria.

On Thursday ,UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon  said that the United Nations will launch an independent investigation into allegations of the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria, after receiving a formal request from the country’s Government.

“The investigation mission is to look into the specific incident brought to my attention by the Syrian Government,” the Secretary-General told journalists in New York this morning.

“I am, of course, aware that there are other allegations of similar cases involving the reported use of chemical weapons,” he added.

Mr. Ban said the investigation will start “as soon as practically possible.”

He said his senior advisers are working on the modalities in close consultation with the relevant bodies, including the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Detailed issues such as overall mandate, mission composition, and operational conditions, including safety and security, would be considered in those discussions, he said.

“In discharging its mandate of an investigation mission, full cooperation from all parties will be essential,” Mr. Ban said, stressing that “this includes unfettered access.”

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters Thursday  afternoon, Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari said that he wanted a probe to look into the use of those weapons by “armed terrorist groups” in an attack on the village of Khan al-Assal on the outskirts of Aleppo on 19 March.

Since the uprising against President al-Assad began in March 2011, more than 70,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and more than three million displaced.

By UP