Syria rejects watchdog report saying chlorine used in Douma

DAMASCUS, Syria – Syria’s government has strongly criticized a report issued by the global chemical weapons watchdog that said chlorine was likely used as a weapon in a deadly attack on the Syrian town of Douma last year.

In a statement Thursday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the report was “full of flagrant falsification of facts.” It said the report lacks “professionalism” and accused those who prepared it of being far from neutral and objective.

The report issued last week by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ fact finding mission found “reasonable grounds” that chlorine was used in the April 7, 2018 attack. Medical workers said at the time that the attack killed more than 40 people.

The mission’s mandate does not include laying blame.