Israel’s newest round of bombing in Damascus this week has hindered efforts to discover chemical weapons supposedly hidden by the since-deposed Assad regime, a top Syrian government adviser said.
The adviser, Ibrahim Olabi, confirmed Thursday that a planned inspection from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been postponed following devastating strikes by the Israeli air force.
The OPCW has not commented on the Israeli strikes or how the attack could affect its investigation into Syrian chemical weapons. The organization is reportedly holding an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss next steps.
Israel struck several military targets in Damascus Wednesday, marking the third day in a row the Israeli Defense Forces bombed Syria’s military. The strikes left at least three dead and 34 injured.
The strikes followed days of deadly conflict in Syria’s southern provinces, where government and Bedouin forces have clashed with Druze minority militia. Israel has vowed to protect the Druze from Syrian government forces.
The regime of Bashar Assad, who was overthrown last year, was accused by human rights groups of deploying chemical weapons several times during the Syrian civil war. The OPCW found that the Assad government used sarin, mustard and chlorine gas in attacks against Islamic militants.
