Indonesia Condemns Alleged Use Of Chemical Weapons In War-Torn Syria

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian government has condemned the alleged use of chemical weapons in an airstrike in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, which claimed many lives.

"Indonesia condemns the use of chemical weapons in Syria, which has claimed the lives of many people, including children," spokesman for the Indonesian Foreign Ministry Arrmanatha Nasir said here on Thursday.

As a country ratifying the convention against chemical weapons in 1998, Indonesia rejects the use of chemical weapons by anybody for any purpose.

For its part, the Indonesian government encouraged the UN to immediately conduct an open investigation of the airstrike, he noted.

In addition, the Indonesian government also urged the UN to bring those responsible for the airstrike to justice, he remarked.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday (April 4) stated that he was shocked by the report on the incident.

According to a media report, 70 people were killed and 200 others were injured on Tuesday in a gas attack on the area controlled by guerrilla fighters in South Idlib.

"The UN is currently not in the position to independently validate the report," Guterres' spokesman pointed out in a statement.

According to the statement, a fact-finding mission from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has announced that the mission had started to collect information to confirm the use of chemical weapons. (WDY)