US ship begins neutralising Syrian chemical materials

, July 8: Teams aboard the US vessel, MV Cape Ray, have begun neutralising Syrian chemical materials, a Pentagon spokesperson said on Monday.

US military and civilian specialists aboard the ship, which has been outfitted with two field-deployable hydrolysis systems designed to neutralise chemical weapons in Syria's arsenal, are neutralising the chemical materials in international waters, Xinhua quoted Steve Warren telling reporters at a Pentagon press briefing.

According to the spokesperson of US Defence Department, the ship left Gioia Tauro, Italy, with 600 metric tonnes of chemicals.

"The Cape Ray is tasked with neutralisation of specific chemical material from Syria," Warren said, noting that the teams are following United Nations and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons guidelines.

If all goes well, he said, neutralisation will take about 60 days. Weather could affect the process, he added.

IANS