Second Load Of Syria Toxic Chemicals Shipped Out

A second load of toxic chemical-weapons materials once controlled by the Syrian government has been removed from the war-torn country.

The joint mission of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said the materials were loaded onto Danish and Norwegian ships and taken out of the port of Latakia.

The statement said a naval escort of vessels from China, Denmark, Norway, and Russia accompanied the ships.

A first batch of chemical-weapons materials left Syria on January 7.

All of the Syrian regime's chemical-weapons stockpile is supposed to be eliminated by June 30 under a UN Security Council resolution.

Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons after negotiations between Russia, an ally of the regime, and the United States, a backer of the opposition.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP