OPCW official: Syria has completed destruction of equipment for producing chemical weapons

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – An official at the global chemical weapons watchdog says Syria has completed destruction of critical equipment for producing chemical weapons and filling munitions with poison gas.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had not yet made the announcement public.

The announcement comes one day ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline set by the Hague-based organization for Damascus to destroy or “render inoperable” all chemical weapon production facilities and machinery for mixing chemicals into poison gas and filling munitions.