Ban takes strong exception to attack on UN team in Syria

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today took strong exception to the attack on the UN team probing allegations of a poison gas attack in Syria and demanded "safety and security" of the team members.
"What I am told at this time is that their vehicle was attacked by an unknown sniper, but despite such very difficult circumstances, our team returned to Damascus and replaced their car and proceeded to a suburb of Damascus to carry on their investigation," Ban said after speaking over phone with UN Under Secretary-General for Disarmament Angela Kane, who is now in Damascus to oversee the investigation.

"I have instructed Angela Kane to register a strong complaint to the Syrian Government and authorities of opposition forces so that this will never happen and the safety and security of the investigation teams will be secured from tomorrow," Ban said in a statement.
"They visited two hospitals, they interviewed witnesses, survivors and doctors, they also collected some samples. They are now returning to Damascus," Ban said.
Earlier, a UN spokesperson said unidentified snipers shot at the Chemical Weapons Investigation Team looking into allegations of the attack in Damascus last week that killed killed more than 300 civilians, including many children.

The first vehicle of the expert team was deliberately shot at multiple times by unidentified snipers in the buffer zone area, the spokesperson said.
"As the car was no longer serviceable, the Team returned safely back to the Government check-point. The Team will return to the area after replacing the vehicle," the spokesperson said.
"It has to be stressed again that all sides need to extend their cooperation so that the Team can safely carry out their important work.