UN to probe chemical weapons cases

A UN investigative team has found seven potential cases of chemical weapon use in Syria worthy of in-depth investigation, the head of the probe team, known as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons: the United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism, told reporters on Monday.

"We are going to start our phase II on the first week in March," said Virginia Gamba, the head of OPCW-UN joint team, after she briefed the UN Security Council on the subject, adding that phase II of the investigation will involve "in-depth investigations of those cases we deem might lead to the identification of perpetrators".

The seven potential cases identified as worthy of further investigation by the investigative mechanism took place between April 2014 and August 2015. Five of the cases took place in Hama governorate, one in Idlib governorate, and one in Aleppo, Gamba said.