Russian MoD:

Syrian Militants Plan Provocations with Use of Toxic Agents

TEHRAN (defapress)- The Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Defense Yuriy Evtushenko stated, citing the source in the militia which sided with the government forces, that militants plan provocations with the use of toxic agents in Syria.

News ID: 69577

Date: 07 April 2018 - 12:04

According to him, Nusra Front and the Free Syrian Army are planning to detonate improvised chemical munitions stuffed with chlorine toxic gas in a number of settlements controlled by these terrorist groups, RIA Novosti reported.

The Spokesperson noted that the militants are going to film the consequences of the alleged use of chemical weapons in order to place the blame for civilian deaths on Damascus and justify breaching the ceasefire in the province of Dara'a.

Video recording equipment has already been transported to the scene and preparations for the provocation are underway, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

It is not the first time reports about possible mitilants' provocations appear. In March, the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation announced that Syrian terrorists were preparing provocations involving chemical warfare agents in Eastern Ghouta, which would be used by Western states as a pretext for accusing Damascus of the use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilian population.

Syrian authorities have been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons against civilians in the conflict that began in 2011. Syrian President Bashar Assad said that the Western countries are blaming Damascus for the deployment of chemical weapons as a pretext for airstrikes on government forces.

Washington has been continuously threatening with a strike against Damascus in case the chemical weapons are used in Syria. According to the Russian General Staff, provocations will also serve as a pretext for the United States to attack Syria, and Moscow has seen corresponding preparatory moves, including the formation of naval strike groups.

The UN Security Council has adopted resolution 2401, urging all parties to the Syrian conflict to immediately cease hostilities and observe a humanitarian truce on the territory of the country.