UN confirms removal of first batch of chemical weapons from Syria

The materials were loaded onto a Danish commercial vessel today.

United Nations on Tuesday confirmed that the joint teams of UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had removed the first batch of chemical weapons from Syria on Tuesday.

Joint Mission of UN and OPCW confim first removal of chemical weapons from #Syria: http://t.co/KQzhG9DYMq

— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) January 7, 2014

A statement issued by the UN added that:

"A first quantity of priority chemical materials was moved from two sites to the port of Lattakia for verification and was then loaded onto a Danish commercial vessel today. The vessel has been accompanied by naval escorts provided by Denmark and Norway, as well as the Syrian Arab Republic."

The statement further read that the vessel had left for international waters and "will remain at sea awaiting the arrival of additional priority chemical materials at the port."

"Maritime security is being provided by naval escorts from the People’s Republic of China, Denmark, Norway and the Russian Federation."

The UN had missed their initial deadline of removing chemical weapons by December 31, 2013.

The UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said “important progress” has been made on eliminating Syria’s banned weapons, but called on President Bashar al-Assad’s government to “intensify efforts” to meet internationally-set deadlines.