UN inspectors to visit Syria chemical attack sites

Tehran, Aug 25: Syria will give UN inspectors access to the sites of the recent alleged chemical attack in the country, Iranian media reported Saturday.

Syria is preparing for the opportunity for UN inspectors presently in the country to visit the places that have been chemically attacked by terrorist groups, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem told his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif over telephone Saturday, Xinhua reported citing Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Al-Moallem also rejected the allegation that Syrian government used chemical weapons as a ploy used by the enemies of Syria.

On Aug 21, Syrian Opposition claimed that 1,300 people were killed in a government chemical attack on militant strongholds in the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar.

In the telephone conversation, the Iranian foreign minister condemned the use of chemical weapons by "terrorist" groups in Syria and renewed Iran's call for peaceful solution to the Syria crisis, the report added.

More than 100,000 people have been killed in Syria since the crisis began in March 2011, according to UN statistics.

IANS