Watchdog confirms chlorine use in Syria's Douma

An international chemical weapons watchdog said Friday that the Assad regime used chlorine gas in Syria's Douma.

The fact-finding mission (FFM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) issued an interim report on its investigation in the region, which was attacked by the Syrian regime in April killing 78 civilians.

"Along with explosive residues, various chlorinated organic chemicals were found in samples from two sites, for which there is a full chain of custody," the organization said in a statement.

It added that no "nerve agents or their degradation products" were found.

"The FFM team will continue its work to draw final conclusions."

The organization noted that the team's activities in Douma included "on-site visits to collect environmental samples, interviews with witnesses, [and] data collection".

It also said that the report was shared with signatories of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the UN Security Council.