Chemical watchdog defends Syria's Douma attack report

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

ANKARA (AA) - The head of a global chemical weapons watchdog on Monday said he stands by a report on an alleged attack in Syria's Douma last year despite a leaked document raising questions over it.

An email by an Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) investigator claimed that the redacted version of the report "misrepresented" the facts, according to Wikileaks.

OPCW Director General Fernando Arias, speaking at the institution's annual meeting in The Hague commented on the claims, saying: "It is in the nature of any thorough inquiry for individuals in a team to express subjective views."

"While some of these diverse views continue to circulate in some public discussion forums, I would like to reiterate that I stand by the independent, professional conclusion [of the investigation]," he added.

The OPCW had concluded that chlorine was used in the April 2018 attack allegedly carried out by the Syrian regime.