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Beirut, July 23 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Syria may use chemical weapons only in the case of external aggression, Syrian foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said Monday. The official said in Damascus that Syria will never use chemical weapons against civilians, and stressed that the weapon stocks were secure. There has been considerable concern that Syria's chemical weapons could fall into hostile hands, in particular insurgents fighting the government, or be used by government troops to defend the regime. According to Globalsecurity.org, the Syrian arsenal is said to consist mostly of large amounts of nerve agents Sarin and Tabun, and mustard gas. The exact volumes of chemical weapons in the Syrian stockpile were not known. --IANS/RIA Novosti pm/mr
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