DAMASCUS, Syria — An advance group of weapons inspectors who will oversee Syria’s destruction of its chemical arms arrived in Beirut today en route to Damascus, Lebanese airport and security officials said.

The inspectors from The Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are to help Syria meet a Nov. 1 deadline to scrap its ability to manufacture such arms, and are scheduled to head into Syria on Tuesday. The destruction of Syria’s existing stockpiles is to be completed by mid-2014.

Lebanese airport and security officials said 20 inspectors from the OPCW landed in Beirut with a private jet today.

Syria’s foreign minister said the main Western-backed opposition group should not take part in a future peace conference because it had overwhelmingly supported a U.S. strike against Damascus over an attack last month in which chemical weapons were used.

A Russian initiative eventually averted a U.S. strike and led to the adoption of a U.N. Security Council resolution to have Syria dismantle its chemical weapons program. The resolution, passed after two weeks of white-knuckle negotiations, marked a major breakthrough in diplomatic efforts since the Syrian uprising began in March 2011.