Syria: Chemical arms reports are lies

State television on Wednesday quoted a government source as saying there was “no truth whatsoever” in the reports aimed at distracting a visiting team of United Nations chemical weapons experts from their mission.

The denial came after, the Syrian opposition accused Syrian army of using chemical agents during clashes with terrorist groups in eastern Damascus.

A United Nations team of chemical weapons inspectors arrived in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Sunday to begin its investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in the country.

The 20-member UN team, led by arms expert Ake Sellstrom of Sweden and UN disarmament chief, Angela Kane, is expected to investigate Khan al-Assal area, near Aleppo.

Two other sites are also to be investigated.

The arrival of the experts comes just days after Syria’s Foreign Ministry said it will fully cooperate with the UN team of chemical weapons inspectors.

Damascus has filed several reports to the UN providing evidence that foreign-backed militants used chemical weapons on civilians and Syrian soldiers.

In return, the militants and their western allies, such as the UK and France, accuse Damascus of using chemical weapons.

Syria has categorically denied the allegations, saying the Takfiri militants have used chemical weapons on several occasions, including an attack in the region of Khan al-Assal in Aleppo Province on March 19, where over two dozen people died.

This is while a Russian-led inquiry revealed that militants had carried out a chemical attack in Khan al-Assal in March.

Syria has been gripped by a deadly unrest since March 2011.

The United Nations says more than 100,000 people have been killed and a total of 7.8 million others displaced since the outbreak of the violence.

According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.