Security Council discusses report on chemical weapon use in Syria

UNITED NATIONS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council met behind closed doors Wednesday to discuss the latest findings by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) of the chemical weapon use in Syria.

The report from the UN-backed watchdog concluded, based on its Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) assessment, that there were "reasonable grounds that the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon has taken place, on 7 April," during the battle for control of Eastern Ghouta.

It added that reactive chlorine had been detected in samples taken around two weeks after the incident.

The latest FFM's report on Douma was due to be shared with States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention and passed on to the Security Council.

The report does not assign blame for the likely use of chlorine gas.

The United States and its Western allies accused the Syrian government of adopting chlorine gas in the latter's military operation in Douma on April 7.

The Syrian government has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying the rebels were fabricating it to draw foreign military action to Eastern Ghouta, the last rebel bastion east of the capital.