A Syrian Army officer claims that forces loyal to President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons against rebels in Homs, Al-Arabiya news reported on Monday.
Captain Abd al-Salam Ahmed Abdul Razek asserts that Russian and Iranian experts supervised as army units released nerve agents to soften up resistance in the besieged and bombarded rebel stronghold in Homs.
Razek served in a chemical weapon administration unit in the Syrian Army before his defection and described the nerve agents used as powerful enough that only small amounts would kill many people.
According to Razek, the Russian and Iranian advisers directed the army units on how best to use the weapons and where to release them. Razek added that he expects the Syrian Army’s Fourth Division and Republican Guard to continue using chemical agents in the future.
The officer’s story could not be confirmed, and the Al-Arabiya news website removed the story by Tuesday morning.
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In fighting on Monday, 25 people were killed in Syria. This follows 36 deaths on Sunday as the Arab League called for a UN peace-keeping force to be sent to Syria, the Ynet news website reported.
AP reported that the Arab League further appealed to all Arab states who have not already done so to break off diplomatic relations with Syria.
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