Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani announced the detentions at a joint news conference in Damascus with Sabrina Dallafior, director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Anadolu Agency reported.
Al-Shaibani said Syria had provided the international watchdog with more than 100,000 official documents and granted its investigators access to records and witnesses as part of efforts to resolve the country’s chemical weapons file.
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He said Damascus began correcting the chemical weapons declaration inherited from the former regime in June, identifying one production facility, two storage facilities and munitions that he said had previously been concealed.
According to the foreign minister, the process culminated in August with the destruction of 42 declared chemical aerial bombs under OPCW supervision. He described the operation as the first verified destruction of such weapons on Syrian territory since 2014.
Al-Shaibani said Syria regained its full rights and privileges within the OPCW on July 9. Discussions with the organization on Tuesday focused on a roadmap for the final closure of the country’s chemical weapons file.
He stressed that resolving the issue required justice for victims and measures to prevent further chemical attacks. However, mines, damaged sites and records allegedly concealed or destroyed by the former government continue to complicate efforts to establish the full extent of Syria’s chemical weapons program.
Dallafior said visiting Syria had been a priority since she took office two months ago, including meeting victims and visiting sites linked to the country’s chemical weapons program.
She said securing any remaining chemical weapons and related materials from the Assad era was essential to preventing proliferation and protecting both Syrians and the wider region.
Dallafior also said the OPCW had worked with the Syrian government to destroy a number of chemical weapons in July, describing the operation as a milestone in multilateral cooperation.
She added that investigations into previous chemical attacks were continuing, with the organization working to identify those responsible and prevent chemical weapons from being used again.
Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013 following a deadly chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus.
In 2021, OPCW member states suspended Syria’s voting rights and other privileges over its failure to address concerns related to the declaration and use of chemical weapons.
Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Syria’s new authorities pledged to cooperate fully with the OPCW to locate and eliminate remaining chemical weapons and related materials.
In May 2026, Syrian authorities announced the discovery of previously undeclared remnants of the former regime’s chemical weapons program, including chemical munitions and materials associated with sarin production.
The OPCW restored Syria’s rights and privileges on July 9 following increased cooperation between the country’s new authorities and the organization.
