OPCW should immediately visit chemical attack scene in Aleppo - Duma's Shamanov
MOSCOW. Nov 25 (Interfax) - International organizations, primarily the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), should investigate the chlorine attack on Aleppo by militants, Russian State Duma Defense Committee Chair Vladimir Shamanov told Interfax.
"The OPCW must directly respond to these events in Aleppo rather than stage White Helmets shows. They should rush to the scene of these events immediately, which they aren't doing," Shamanov said on Sunday.
The absence of the OPCW's response to the attack "reveals a farce and bias of international organizations, which are not performing their official duties but are engaged in politics, which they should not do," he said.
"Impunity engenders more unlawful actions," he said.
"Not only have they used prohibited weapons in their attacks, but they have also increased the amount of the substances used. The UN Security Council should assess this impunity, but they aren't doing that despite our legitimate requests," Shamanov said.
"Political-diplomatic efforts should be continued," he said.
Earlier reports quoting the Russian Defense Ministry had said that dozens of civilians suffered injuries as militants shelled Aleppo. Preliminary findings indicated that the munitions apparently filled with chlorine exploded in the area of al-Nil Street in the al-Khalidiyah neighborhood. The Russian Defense Ministry put the blame for the attack on terrorist groups stationed in the Idlib de-escalation area.
A doctor at an Aleppo hospital, who introduced himself as Shervan Sheho, told journalists that medical aid was provided following the attack on Aleppo to 73 civilians, including four children,.