Syria's government is continuing to make chemical weapons in violation of a 2013 deal to eliminate them, a Western intelligence agency told the BBC on Thursday.
A document quoted by the British broadcaster says chemical and biological munitions are produced at three main sites - at Dummar and Barzeh near Damascus and Maysaf, in Hama. All three are branches of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), a government agency, it adds.
It alleges that both Iran and Russia, the Syrian government's allies, are aware.
Despite monitoring of the sites by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the document alleges that manufacturing and maintenance continues in closed sections.
It says the Masyaf and Barzeh facilities both specialize in installing chemical weapons on long-range missiles and artillery.
The OPCW mentioned Barzeh and Dummar - also known as Jamraya - in its latest official progress update on its work to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons program, noted the BBC.
The watchdog said inspectors visited them between February 26 and March 5 and that it is still awaiting laboratory analysis of the samples that were taken.
The report comes weeks after a chemical weapons attack in Khan Sheikhun, in which sarin gas was used. READ MORE
