Syria acting to secure chemical weapons, Russian minister says

Syria has increased the security of its chemical weapons by concentrating them at a small number of sites, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"So far, according to our information, which correlates with Western data, the weapons are under control," Lavrov told journalists on 22 December. "The Syrian authorities have concentrated these munitions in one or two centres. Previously they were scattered around the country."

Major General Adnan Salu, the former commander of the Syrian military's chemical warfare department, told Al-Arabiya TV on 17 December that the weapons were stored at Stockpile 417, about 50 km east of Adra, and Stockpile 418, about 50 km east of Homs and around 10 km north of Al-Furqlus.

Gen Salu, who joined the rebellion earlier in 2012, said that there were research facilities at Al-Sufayrah, near the northern city of Aleppo, and 3 km east of Darat Izzah, which is to the west of Aleppo.

He added that the foreign military intervention would not be necessary as the Free Syrian Army rebel grouping was capable of securing these sites.

The Al-Sufayrah complex is a large and well-known facility that is well guarded and has numerous munitions storage bunkers.