Syria 'increasing pace' in arms removal

Syria has increased its arms removal rate, but remains behind schedule ahead of a June 30 deadline, the world's chemical watchdog says.

A Syrian man runs past rubble as smoke billows in the background following a reported air strike by Syrian government forces (Getty/AFP).

Syria is removing its chemical arsenal at "an increased pace" with almost a third of its stockpile having been taken out of the war-torn country, the world's chemical watchdog says.

But Damascus remained behind schedule as yet another target date loomed next week, ahead of a June 30 deadline to hand over or destroy its arsenal, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on Friday in The Hague.

The body's 41-country Executive Council in a statement noted the "increasing pace" of the removal of Syria's stockpile, at the end of a four-day meeting at its headquarters.

The council also "positively noted" the progress that has been made "with respect to eliminating the Syrian chemical weapons program".

But it also stressed "delays... have occurred about which concerns were expressed".

The combined United Nations-OPCW mission has now verified that nearly 29.0 per cent of the total chemical stockpile have been removed for destruction outside the country, the watchdog said.

Earlier this week, OPCW head Ahmet Uzumcu told the meeting that Syria had submitted a revised proposal to complete the removal of all chemicals from Syria before the end of April after previously saying it could only complete the job by June.

Syria was to have shipped out most dangerous Category 1 chemicals by December 31 and Category 2 chemicals by February 5.

Syria has also destroyed 93 per cent of its stocks of isopropanol, used to make sarin nerve gas, a task that was supposed to have been completed by March 1.

The next target date is March 15 when Syria is supposed to have destroyed its 12 chemical weapon production facilities.