US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said that her country is looking forward for an independent investigation by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to determine who is to blame for the April 4 chemical attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in rural Idlib.
An investigation by the international chemical weapons watchdog has concluded that sarin or a sarin-like substance was used as a chemical weapon in the April 4 attack that left more than 90 people dead, diplomats said on Thursday.
“Now that we know the undeniable truth, we look forward to an independent investigation to confirm exactly who was responsible for these brutal attacks so we can find justice for the victims,” Haley said in a statement on Thursday.
After interviewing witnesses and examining samples, a report by the fact-finding mission (FFM) of the OPCW concluded that “a large number of people, some of whom died, were exposed to sarin or a sarin-like substance.”
“It is the conclusion of the FFM that such a release can only be determined as the use of sarin, as a chemical weapon,” a summary of the report said.
On April 7, the United States fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at the Shayrat airbase in eastern rural Homs following the sarin attack the Assad regime launched on the town of Khan Sheikhoun. The sarin attack claimed the lives of dozens of civilians, including many children. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)