Syria Recovers Remnants of Assad Chemical Weapons Program

Syria's transitional government has located remnants of the clandestine chemical weapons program that operated under former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including raw materials and munitions similar to those used in deadly gas attacks during the country's civil war.

Syrian teams working with inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons recovered more than 70 rockets and aerial bombs along with raw ingredients for producing the nerve agent Sarin.

Syrian authorities have taken 18 suspects into custody for alleged involvement in the program, including high-level military, political and technical officials previously serving in the Syrian Arab Army. Mohamad Katoub, Syria's permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, confirmed the findings in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday.

" — Mohamad Katoub, May 26, 2026 (Reuters) The discoveries come as Syrian officials continue to work with international inspectors to account for remaining chemical weapons infrastructure.

The civil war in Syria saw multiple chemical attacks that killed over a thousand people and injured tens of thousands. The transitional government has prioritized locating and securing any remaining chemical weapons materials since taking power. Officials said the recovered items match the types of munitions previously documented in attacks attributed to the former government.