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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)


March 2014 - Syria Special Weapons News

  • Syrian forces retake strategic position in Latakia Iran Press TV 31 Mar 2014 -- Syrian government forces have taken full control of a strategic position in Latakia Province, the latest of the army's recent achievements against the foreign-backed militants.
  • US mulls sending anti-aircraft weapons to Syrian opposition VoR 29 Mar 2014 -- According to an AP report, President Barack Obama may authorize the shipment of new air defense systems to rebel forces in Syria.
  • Syria: UN official cites 'bleak' humanitarian situation, urges unhindered access to civilians UN News Centre 28 Mar 2014 -- The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator warned the Security Council today that as the Syrian civil war grinds on and millions of desperate people remain cut off from aid, "the humanitarian situation remains bleak, and will continue to be bleak, unless we are granted full and unhindered access, through the most efficient and direct means."
  • Syria rid of over half of chemical arms: OPCW Iran Press TV 27 Mar 2014 -- The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has confirmed that over half of Syria's chemical arms arsenal has been either destroyed or shipped out of the country.
  • Syria army continues mop-up operations against militants Iran Press TV 27 Mar 2014 -- The Syrian army continues mop-up operations against foreign-backed militants across the country.
  • Leaked: Turkey officials discuss military strike on Syria Iran Press TV 27 Mar 2014 -- A new audio recording has emerged online, playing a discussion by top Turkish officials of possible military operations in Syria.
  • Turkey Warns of Syrian Intervention to Protect Ancient Tomb VOA 27 Mar 2014 -- Turkey has warned it will take any necessary steps to protect the Suleyman Shah tomb in Syria if it comes under attack. The tomb, which is protected by Turkish soldiers, is located in the city of Aleppo in Syria near the Turkish border and Ankara considers it to be Turkish territory.
  • Half of Syrian chemical weapons removed - watchdog VoR 27 Mar 2014 -- The world's chemical weapons watchdog says more than 49 percent of the raw materials for Syria's poison gas and nerve agent program scheduled for destruction have been shipped overseas, with the rest expected to leave by the end of April. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said in a report to the United Nations that the total percentage of chemicals either removed or already destroyed inside the war-torn country is 53.6 percent.
  • Syria army continues operations against militants Iran Press TV 26 Mar 2014 -- The Syrian army has continued its mop-up operations against foreign-backed militants across the country, inflicting heavy losses on them.
  • Turkish army artillery pounds west Syria Iran Press TV 26 Mar 2014 -- Turkish army has fired several rounds of artillery toward western Syria as Ankara seeks to renew its assistance to foreign-backed militants fighting against the Damascus government.
  • Syria: in address to Arab League Ban underscores need for political solution UN News Centre 25 Mar 2014 -- The international community has a duty to help end Syria's tragic civil war, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized today at a meeting of Arab leaders in Kuwait, where he stressed that there is no military resolution to the conflict, which "can only be resolved through a political solution."
  • Syria talks resumption out of question: UN-AL envoy Iran Press TV 24 Mar 2014 -- UN-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi says resumption of talks between Damascus and the foreign-backed opposition is 'out of the question" for the moment
  • Iran urges Turkey, Syria to exercise restraint Iran Press TV 23 Mar 2014 -- Iran has called for restraint amid heightened tensions between Ankara and Damascus after Turkish forces shot down a Syrian warplane near the border.
  • Turkey shoots down Syrian jet Iran Press TV 23 Mar 2014 -- Turkey's armed forces have shot down a Syrian warplane near the Turkish-Syrian border.
  • Syria slams Saudi support for militants Iran Press TV 23 Mar 2014 -- Syria has once again complained to the United Nations about Saudi Arabia's role in supporting foreign-backed militants operating against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
  • Turkey warns Syria against trespassing after jet shooting incident VoR 23 Mar 2014 -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday congratulated the military for downing a Syrian warplane near its border and warned of a 'heavy' response if its airspace was violated.
  • Turkish PM Erdogan confirms Turkish armed forces shot down Syrian jet VoR 23 Mar 2014 -- Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday his country's armed forces had shot down a Syrian jet after it violated Turkish airspace, confirming media reports.
  • Syrian army, militants clash near Turkish border Iran Press TV 22 Mar 2014 -- Heavy clashes have broken out between soldiers of the Syrian army and foreign-backed militants near a border crossing with Turkey close to the Mediterranean.
  • Industrialized nations see sharp rise in asylum claims, driven by Syria crisis - UN report UN News Centre 21 Mar 2014 -- A new report issued today by the United Nations refugee agency found a sharp rise in asylum claims in 44 industrialized countries over the course of last year, driven primarily by the crisis in Syria.
  • Syrian forces take full control of historical castle Iran Press TV 21 Mar 2014 -- Syrian government forces have fully regained control of the famous medieval castle of Qal'at al-Hisn and its surrounding areas near the western city of Homs.
  • Syria militants flee Qalamoun region toward Lebanon border Iran Press TV 20 Mar 2014 -- Foreign-backed Takfiri militants in western Syria are feeling toward the Lebanese border as Syrian troops comb through the strategic Qalamun region.
  • Syria army chases militants out of Ras al-Ain in Qalamoun Iran Press TV 20 Mar 2014 -- The Syrian army has recaptured the town of Ras al-Ain in the mountainous region of Qalamoun, north of Damascus, days after taking over the strategic city of Yabroud, Press TV reports.
  • Syria troops recapture medieval castle near Homs Iran Press TV 20 Mar 2014 -- Syrian government forces have managed to recapture a famous medieval castle near the western city of Homs after heavy fighting with militants surrounding the area.
  • Over half of Syria's chemical weapons removed or destroyed, says joint OPCW-UN mission UN News Centre 20 Mar 2014 -- The Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations said today that over half of Syria's chemical weapons material has been removed or destroyed.
  • First UN humanitarian aid convoy from Turkey sets out for Syria UN News Centre 20 Mar 2014 -- A United Nations convoy carrying vital humanitarian supplies for hundreds of thousands of people in desperate need in northern Syria is leaving today from Turkey, the first time in the three years of the conflict that aid is being transported via this route.
  • Syria Fighting Spills Into Northern Lebanon VOA 20 Mar 2014 -- Syrian warplanes bombed areas along Lebanon's northern border Thursday amid bitter fighting between rebels and government forces in a historic border town. Scores of civilians and fighters were reported to be fleeing into Lebanon.
  • Syrian army retakes town of Ras al-Ayn near Yabroud Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- The Syrian army has gained further victories against foreign-backed militants, recapturing the town of Ras al-Ayn, near the strategic town of Yabrud, Press TV reports.
  • Lebanese army deployed in border town of Arsal Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- The Lebanese army has been deployed in the town of Arsal, along the border with Syria, as part of efforts to calm down tensions from the spillover of Syria's conflict there.
  • Takfiris carry out mass murders in Syria: UN Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) carried out 'mass executions' in Syria in January, the United Nations says.
  • Israeli Planes Bomb Syrian Military Sites VOA 19 Mar 2014 -- Israeli airstrikes against Syrian military positions in the Golan Heights killed one soldier and wounded seven in the most serious escalation between the two neighbors since Syria's civil war broke out three years ago.
  • More than 45 percent of chemical weapons taken out of Syria - OPCW VoR 19 Mar 2014 -- More than 45 per cent of toxic chemicals, including the most dangerous chemicals, have already been taken out of Syria, the OPCW ( Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) press release, issued on Wednesday, says.
  • Lebanon cannot bear brunt of Syrian refugee crisis alone, UN relief official warns UN News Centre 18 Mar 2014 -- Massive international support is crucial as the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon continues to rise and is on track to reaching 1.5 million by the end of this year, a senior United Nations humanitarian official stressed today.
  • 'Compassion does not suffice' UN rights panel says, urging immediate end to bloodshed in Syria UN News Centre 18 Mar 2014 -- As the Syrian war enters a fourth year, the harrowing violence shows no signs of subsiding – the fighting has driven some nine million civilians from their homes and has reduced many of those who remain to scavenging – said the head of a United Nations-appointed human rights panel, denouncing the international community's inaction in the pursuit of peace and accountability.
  • Conflict costs Syria over $31 billion: Syrian PM Iran Press TV 18 Mar 2014 -- Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi says his crisis-stricken country has suffered damage estimated more than 31 billion dollars during the foreign-sponsored Syrian militancy campaign over the past three years.
  • Syrians outside Jordan's refugee system 'hanging on by a thread' - UN UN News Centre 18 Mar 2014 -- Hundreds of thousands of Syrians forced to flee the bloodshed in their homeland and now living in Jordan, are struggling to make lives for themselves outside that country's protective umbrella of refugee camps, a study co-led by the United Nations refugees agency found.
  • UN: War Crimes, Atrocities Escalate in Syria VOA 18 Mar 2014 -- U.N. human rights investigators say the perpetrators of crimes during Syria's civil war will not escape justice. The U.N. Commission of Inquiry says it is amassing an ever-growing list of suspected war criminals on both sides of the conflict for future use in judicial trials.
  • US Suspends Syrian Embassy Operations VOA 18 Mar 2014 -- U.S. officials have told the Syrian Embassy in Washington to suspend operations. They say any Syrian diplomats who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents must leave the country. The order also affects Syria's two honorary consulates in the U.S.
  • UN accuses Syrian insurgents of torture, crimes against humanity for first time VoR 18 Mar 2014 -- The UN for the first time has accused Syrian militants of committing crimes against humanity. The United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday said several Syrian Islamist rebel groups had systematically detained and tortured civilians. The rebels' crimes against humanity, it said, were carried out in al-Raqqa province against ethnic Kurds.
  • Syria forces raise national flag in Yabroud Iran Press TV 17 Mar 2014 -- Syrian forces have raised the national flag of Syria in the strategic town of Yabroud after retaking full control of the town from foreign-backed militants.
  • Syrian Troops Seize Major Rebel Town Near Lebanon VOA 16 Mar 2014 -- Syrian government forces appear to have recaptured large portions of the bitterly contested mountain town of Yabroud, along the border with Lebanon. Opposition activists claim pockets of rebel forces still are still holding out in portions of the town and hills overlooking it.
  • Syria army captures key rebel stronghold Yabrud – media VoR 16 Mar 2014 -- Syrian troops on Sunday seized full control of the rebel stronghold Yabrud in the strategic Qalamun region near the Lebanese border, Syrian state TV channel has reported.
  • Syria forces enter militant-held Yabroud town Iran Press TV 15 Mar 2014 -- Syria's government forces have entered the last major stronghold of foreign-backed militants near the Lebanese border as they continue their push to free more areas.
  • Syria opposition chief calls for more weapons Iran Press TV 15 Mar 2014 -- The head of Syria's foreign-backed opposition has appealed to foreign supporters to provide the militants with more arms as the conflict in the Arab country enters its fourth year.
  • Three years on, UN's top humanitarian officials urge end to Syrian conflict UN News Centre 15 Mar 2014 -- With nearly 13 million Syrians uprooted from their homes, senior United Nations officials warn that without a political solution to the conflict, which today enters its fourth year, Syria and its people face years more of destruction and continued brutality.
  • Syrian troops advance further inside Yabrud Iran Press TV 14 Mar 2014 -- Syrian forces backed by fighters from the Lebanese resistance movement of Hezbollah have advanced further into a militant-held region near the border with Lebanon.
  • Over 9mn displaced by Syria crisis: UNHCR Iran Press TV 14 Mar 2014 -- UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres says the "unconscionable" turmoil plaguing Syria has forced over nine million people from their homes.
  • Syria's political process 'in crisis' and must be reenergized - Ban UN News Centre 14 Mar 2014 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed yet again for the international community to help bring the rival Syrian parties closer on concrete measures to end the conflict, saying "it is not enough for representatives of the Government and opposition to be in the same room, what matters most is what they do there."
  • Syrian chemical weapons to be completely removed by April 13 VoR 14 Mar 2014 -- Syria's chemical weapons that should be destroyed outside the country could be removed by April 13, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said on Friday, adding there was no need to adjust the timeframe.
  • Syrian Election Could Jeopardize Peace Talks, Says Brahimi VOA 13 Mar 2014 -- As the Syrian conflict entered its fourth year this week, international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi warned that if presidential elections go ahead in the coming months, it could jeopardize peace talks between the government and opposition.
  • Syria: UN-Arab League envoy says Security Council must push for productive peace talks UN News Centre 13 Mar 2014 -- The United Nations and Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria today announced that he has appealed to the Security Council to assist him in pressing for a possible new round of negotiations bringing together the Syrian Government and opposition groups to end three years of bloodshed in the country.
  • Assad visits displaced Syrians in Damascus suburbs Iran Press TV 12 Mar 2014 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has made a public visit to displaced people living in a refugee camp outside the capital, Damascus.
  • Syria: UN chief implores world to reenergize political talks on ending bloodshed UN News Centre 12 Mar 2014 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that the international community cannot afford to lose focus or turn away from war-torn Syria, and called for renewed political efforts to end what, after three years of bloodshed, is now the biggest humanitarian and security crisis in the world.
  • Third Syrian refugee camp set to open in Jordanin Jordan at end of April - UN UN News Centre 11 Mar 2014 -- The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) is assisting with preparations for new Syrian arrivals once Jordan's third refugee camp opens on 30 April, a spokesperson today confirmed.
  • INTERVIEW: UN relief official recalls 'a day from hell' amid ongoing strife in Syria UN News Centre 11 Mar 2014 -- "Where have you been? What took you so long? Why is it only after a year that the UN would try to reach us knowing that we have been here for that long?"
  • Syrian War Takes Devastating Toll on Children VOA 11 Mar 2014 -- The United Nations Children's Fund is calling attention to the affect that three years of conflict has had on Syria's young people, saying the crisis is the 'most damaging conflict for children in the region's recent history.'
  • Number of children affected by conflict in Syria has doubled since last year - UN UN News Centre 10 Mar 2014 -- As the conflict in Syria enters its fourth year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has released a new report that carries alarming news: more than twice as many children are affected by the hostilities than were 12 months ago, and particularly hard hit are up to a million children trapped in areas that are under siege or that are hard to reach with humanitarian assistance due to continued violence.
  • Syrian army forces target militants in Idlib Iran Press TV 09 Mar 2014 -- The Syrian army has launched an offensive against foreign-backed militants holed up in the northwestern city of Idlib.
  • Syria: clashes hamper UN agency's effort to reach Palestinians in Yarmouk camp UN News Centre 09 Mar 2014 -- Violence has again disrupted efforts to deliver aid to a besieged camp on the outskirts of Damascus, the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees across the Middle East warned today, as UN and other humanitarian agencies launched a global campaign demanding immediate access to all civilians in war-torn Syria trapped by the violence.
  • Syria army retakes Zareh town in Homs Iran Press TV 08 Mar 2014 -- Syrian government forces have regained the control of a town in the central province of Homs, as they continue operations to clear more areas from foreign-backed militants.
  • SNC names new chief of military wing Iran Press TV 08 Mar 2014 -- The foreign-backed Syrian National Coalition (SNC) has officially named Brigadier General Abdullah al-Bashir as the head of its military wing.
  • US Needs New Strategy for Syria VOA 08 Mar 2014 -- Reports that UN special envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, is considering resigning should not surprise anyone.
  • Syrian army occupied former opposition's stronghold in the country's west; fights still on in the south VoR 08 Mar 2014 -- On Saturday, the Syrian government's armed forces entered the village of Al-Zarah in the country's north, which used to be one of the main strongholds of the Syrian opposition. This news was announced by Lebanese TV channel Al-Manar.
  • Syria planes bomb militant-held area near Yabroud Iran Press TV 07 Mar 2014 -- Syrian aircraft have bombarded an area near the town of Yabroud, which borders Lebanon, a day after over a dozen foreign-backed militants were killed in heavy clashes there.
  • Syria to miss deadline to destroy 12 chemical arms sites - OPCW sources VoR 07 Mar 2014 -- Syria will miss a major deadline next week to destroy its chemical weapons production facilities, sources at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said on Thursday. Syria declared 12 production facilities to the OPCW and has until March 15 to destroy them under a deal agreed with the United States and Russia. Damascus has already missed several deadlines laid out in the agreement. 'That will definitely be missed,' said an official involved in discussions with Syria, referring to the March 15 deadline.
  • Sarin used in two Syria chemical attacks appear to come from army stockpile - UN VoR 06 Mar 2014 -- Chemical weapons used in two incidents in Syria last year appear to come from the stockpiles of the Syrian military, United Nations human rights investigators said on Wednesday in a report that went beyond previous findings.
  • OPCW-UN mission chief welcomes recent progress on chemical removal from Syria UN News Centre 05 Mar 2014 -- A recent acceleration of efforts by Syria and the submission of a revised timeline for removing toxic agents bode well for meeting the 30 June 2014 deadline for destroying the country's chemical weapons programme, the official charged with overseeing the venture said today after briefing the United Nations Security Council on progress to date.
  • Attacks, sieges of civilian areas leading to mass casualties, starvation in Syria - UN panel UN News Centre 05 Mar 2014 -- Widespread attacks and sieges on civilian areas in Syria by pro-Government forces are leading to mass casualties, malnutrition and starvation, says a United Nations-appointed human rights panel, which also cited inaction by the Security Council as an enabler for the escalating violence.
  • UN: Chemical Weapons Used in Syria From Military Stockpile VOA 05 Mar 2014 -- U.N. human rights investigators say chemical weapons used in two attacks in Syria last year appear to come from Syrian military stockpiles.
  • Syria submits new plan to ship its most dangerous chemicals abroad by April - UN VoR 05 Mar 2014 -- Syria has shipped out about a third of its chemical weapons stockpile and has submitted a new plan to ship its most dangerous chemicals abroad by April, a UN spokesman said here on Tuesday.
  • Over 350,000 families internally displaced in Syria Iran Press TV 04 Mar 2014 -- Latest official figures show that 350,177 internally displaced families are taking refuge in shelters inside Syria.
  • Syrian Army Advances on Strategic Town Near Lebanon VOA 04 Mar 2014 -- Syrian government forces have solidified their grasp on the last major town held by Sunni Muslim rebels near the Lebanese border.
  • Syrian troops make advances in Aleppo, Homs Iran Press TV 02 Mar 2014 -- The Syrian army has made more advances against foreign-backed militants operating in the country, inflicting heavy losses on them during operations in the provinces of Aleppo and Homs.
  • Syrian Army Assault on Qalamoun Region Stalls VOA 02 Mar 2014 -- A two-weeks-long Syrian army assault on the last major town held by rebels in the mountainous Qalamoun region along the Lebanese border is facing renewed resistance from insurgents, say opposition activists.



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