HMS Diamond Finishes Syria Chemicals Mission

Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond has completed her role escorting ships carrying Syria’s chemical weapons stock for disposal.

HMS Diamond joined the Danish, Norwegian and British task group in February to provide maritime force protection to merchant vessels transporting chemical agents from Syria.

The Limassol-based task group recently escorted the container ship the MV Ark Futura to Italy with some of the most dangerous chemical agents. These will be neutralised at sea in the next few months.

The operation followed diplomatic efforts to eliminate chemical weapons from the Syrian regime and the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2118, which calls for the destruction of the Syrian chemical weapons programme.

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Press Release, July 03, 2014; Image: UK Navy