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Syria hands over remaining chemical weapons for destruction - sources


    THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Syria has handed over the remaining 100 tonnes of toxic material it declared to the global chemical weapons watchdog, clearing the way for destruction of the stockpile at sea, sources told Reuters on Monday.

    The chemicals, roughly 8 percent of a total 1,300 tonnes reported to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), had been held at a storage site which the government of President Bashar al-Assad previously said was inaccessible due to fighting with rebels.

    The security situation in the area has now improved and the containers of chemicals have been taken by truck to the port of Latakia, the sources said.

    They were "just loaded on the ship a few minutes ago," said one diplomatic source who is closely monitoring the handover process.

    (Editing by Gareth Jones)