Syria: UN probe's second round to finish Monday

The visiting UN chemical weapons investigation team continued its probe mission in Syria Friday. It was set to complete the second round of investiagtion Monday, Xinhua reported.

"The United Nations mission investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria on Friday continued working on a comprehensive report that is expected to be ready by late October," an official statement said.

The UN investigation team returned to Syria Wednesday to complete their mission.

It arrived in Syria on the request of the Syrian government Aug 18 and inspected some locations in the countryside of capital city of Damascus for the use of chemical weapons.

On Aug 30, the UN team left for Syria to analyse initial findings. Later, it affirmed the use of nerve agent -- sarin -- in the eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus, which allegedly killed hundreds of people.

The rebels and the Syrian government, however, have been trading accusations over the responsibility of the attack.

The report is expected to cover the incidents that allegedly occurred in Khan al-Assal town in Aleppo, which occurred March 19, in the Sheikh Maqsoud in the southern province of Daraa April 13, in Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib April 29, in the Ghouta suburb of the capital Damascus Aug 21, in Bahhariyeh near Damascus Aug 22, as well as in Jobar suburb of Damascus Aug 24 and Ashrafiah Sahnaya near Damascus Aug 25.

Meanwhile, the statement stressed that the team's current activity uses "the same impartial fact-finding modalities and techniques applied to the first round of investigations".

"This means using scientifically agreed and accredited environmental and epidemiological methods such as sampling and laboratory analyses as well as interviews with physicians, victims and parties connected to the incidents," said Ake Sellstrom, the team's leader, in the statement.