OPCW: First of 12 chemical weapon facilities in Syria destroyed

The destruction of an underground structure in Syria that previously hosted a chemical weapon production facility, the first of twelve planned to be destroyed, was completed on 31 January 2015, the Organisation for the Prevention of chemical Weapons (OPCW), announced Tuesday.
The OPCW in a press release in the Hague said its inspectors verified and declared the structure as destroyed on the same day. At the same time, destruction activities and preparatory work at the eleven remaining structures continue.
"I welcome the destruction of the first facility, which had been delayed due to some technical reasons. I am hopeful that remaining destruction activities will proceed according to the plan," said OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu.
98 percent of chemical weapons declared by Syria have so far been verified by the OPCW as destroyed. Only 29 metric tones of Hydrogen fluoride remain to be destroyed at facilities in the United States and United Kingdom.