UN team begins destruction of Syria's chemical weapons

An international team of experts have begun the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons.

The operation is being overseen by a team from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The mission was established under a United Nations resolution, which was passed after agreement between Russia and the US, the BBC reports.

The resolution followed international outrage at a chemical weapons attack near Damascus on 21st August.

In an interim report, UN chemical weapons inspectors confirmed that the nerve agent sarin had been used in the attack in Ghouta.

Hundreds of people were killed in the attack, which was blamed by the United States and other Western powers on the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

An official on the joint OPCW-UN delegation said that the first day of destruction and disabling is over and missile warheads, aerial bombs, along with mobile and static mixing and filling units, were dealt with.

He added that work to destroy the chemical weapons will continue in the next few days.