Chemical weapons inspectors collect samples from Syria site

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syrian government forces overseeing the evacuation by bus of rebels and their family from the towns of Ruhaiba in the eastern Qalamoun region in the Damascus countryside, Syria, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Syrian state media says several buses have left the towns of Ruhaiba, Jayroud, and al-Nasriya carrying hundreds of rebels and their families to opposition territory in north Syria. (SANA via AP)
This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syrian government forces overseeing the evacuation by bus of rebels and their family from the towns of Ruhaiba in the eastern Qalamoun region in the Damascus countryside, Syria, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Syrian state media says several buses have left the towns of Ruhaiba, Jayroud, and al-Nasriya carrying hundreds of rebels and their families to opposition territory in north Syria. (SANA via AP)

BEIRUT (AP) - Chemical weapons inspectors collected samples from Syria's Douma on Saturday, two weeks after a suspected gas attack there followed by retaliatory strikes by Western powers on the Syrian government's chemical facilities.

The site visit, confirmed by the Organization of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, would allow the agency to proceed with an independent investigation to determine what chemicals, if any, were used in the April 7 attack that medical workers said killed more than 40 people.

Douma was the final target of the government's sweeping campaign to seize back control of the eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus from rebels after seven years of revolt. Militants gave up the town days after the alleged attack.

The U.S., France, and Britain blamed the President Bashar Assad's government for the attack, and struck suspected Syrian chemical weapons facilities one week later.

The Syrian government and its ally Russia denied responsibility for the attack.

OPCW inspectors arrived in Damascus just hours before the April 15 strikes but were delayed from visiting the site until Saturday, leading Western officials and Syrian activists to accuse Russia and the Syrian government of staging a cover-up.