CORRECTED: Syria has begun destroying Assad-era chemical weapon materials: UN envoy

Syria has begun the process of destroying materials identified by the world's chemical weapons watchdog, the country's UN envoy said Thursday, signaling a major step since the 2024 ouster of Bashar al-Assad.

"This is the very first destruction process since we have been liberated from the previous regime," Ibrahim Olabi told the Security Council. "It's also the first of its kind to destroy chemical materials on Syrian territory for over a decade."