Syria’s transitional leadership has discovered the remains of former President Bashar al-Assad’s secret chemical weapons program, including raw materials and munitions used in deadly gas attacks during the country’s civil war.Authorities also detained 18 suspects allegedly linked to the program, Reuters quoted Mohammed Kattoub, Syria’s permanent representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as saying on Tuesday.Those detained reportedly include senior military, political and technical officials linked to the Assad-era chemical weapons network.The disclosure is one of the clearest indications yet that remnants of Syria’s chemical arsenal may still exist following the fall of the Assad government and the country’s ongoing political transition.

Concern about remaining stock

The issue of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile has remained under international scrutiny since Damascus joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013 over allegations that the Assad government used chemical agents during the civil war.According to the Arms Control Association, international experts and the OPCW had stepped up monitoring efforts since Assad’s overthrow amid concerns that chemical materials could be lost, hidden or damaged during military attacks and political turmoil.OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias previously warned that airstrikes targeting Syrian military facilities after Assad’s fall could pose a “risk of contamination” and potentially destroy evidence linked to chemical weapons investigations.The United States also expressed concern over the fate of Syria’s remaining chemical stockpiles after Assad fled the country.Former US Deputy National Security Adviser John Finer said Washington was prioritizing efforts to locate, secure and destroy remaining chemical weapons material in coordination with the OPCW and regional partners.

Long-running allegations against Assad government

For more than a decade, the OPCW repeatedly accused Syria of failing to fully disclose details of its chemical weapons program.International investigators had cited “gaps, inconsistencies and inconsistencies” in declarations regarding Syria’s stockpiles and chemical activities.The OPCW had previously concluded that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that the Syrian Army used chemical weapons in the 2018 Douma attack.Several other alleged chemical attacks were reported during the 2013–2024 Syrian civil war, although responsibility in some cases remained disputed.Katoub’s comments now reveal that transitional Syrian authorities are attempting to uncover and destroy the remains of the former regime’s chemical weapons infrastructure, as well as taking legal action against officials allegedly involved in the program.