Watchdog: Syria shipped 3rd batch of chemical arms

Norwegian cargo vessel is accompanied by multinational fleet as Assad regime struggles to hit deadlines

A watchdog agency said Syria has shipped a third batch of chemical weapons material out of its territory.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said in a statement Monday the Syrian material has been transferred to a Norwegian cargo vessel. It said that ship was being accompanied by a naval escort including ships from China, Denmark, Norway and Russia, and will be joined by Britain when it reaches international waters.

The Hague, Netherlands-based OPCW, which is overseeing Syria’s attempts to destroy its chemical weapons stockpile, said that an unspecified amount of chemicals used in making weapons have also been destroyed within Syria.

Syria has missed several deadlines on the timetable to have its chemical weapons eradicated by June 30, but insists it will meet the final deadline.