‘Terrorists begin filming staged chemical attack in Syria’s Idlib’

Russian Defense Ministry says foreign-sponsored terrorists have started filming scenes of a staged chemical attack in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib to facilitate the implication of Syrian government forces and invent a pretext for the United States and its allies to launch airstrikes on army troops.

The Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation said in a statement on Tuesday that cameramen from several Middle Eastern television networks and an American news channel arrived in the city of Jisr al-Shughur in the morning to produce the footage needed for the provocation.

The statement added that a Takfiri militant outfit has been provided with two canisters of a “chlorine-based chemical” for the purpose of the operation.

It further noted that the footage would include scenes of members of the so-called civil defense group White Helmets helping and treating the residents of Jisr al-Shughur after an alleged barrel bomb chemical weapon attack by the Syrian army.

“All the footage of the staged provocation is to be delivered to the newsrooms of TV channels, which are to broadcast it after its publication on social media,” the statement pointed out.

Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Lebanon-based Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network on August 30 that terrorists had kidnapped 20 children over the past weeks in a bid to use them in the expected chemical farce.

The sources noted that the attack would be carried out in Jisr al-Shughur, emphasizing that toxic materials have recently been transferred to the designated site through the al-Hassaniyah border crossing, which links the city to Turkey.

The crossing is controlled by the Western-backed White Helmets aid group, which has been repeatedly accused of cooperating with Takfiri terrorists and staging false flag gas attacks.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has censured the US threats to use military force against Syria as part of Washington’s blackmail policy.

“Unlike the United States, Britain and their allies, Russia provides particular facts on a daily basis through its Defense Ministry, the Foreign Ministry as well missions in New York, The Hague and Geneva. We particularly name geographical points, where preparations are underway for certain terrorist groups backed by the US and its allies to carry out provocations,” Ryabkov emphasized.

The top Russian official noted, “Our military has been assessing the military situation on a round-the-clock basis, without any breaks. Constant information exchange is going on with our colleagues in Turkey and Damascus. We have also established secure channels with the US military in order to prevent the repletion of such incidents. We cannot let Idlib remain a terrorist stronghold.”

The US has warned it would respond to a chemical weapons attack by Syrian government forces with retaliatory strikes, stressing that the attacks would be stronger than those conducted by American, British and French forces back in April.

On April 14, the US, Britain and France carried out a string of airstrikes against Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack against the city of Douma, located about 10 kilometers northeast of the capital Damascus.

Washington and its allies blamed Damascus for the Douma attack, an allegation rejected by the Syrian government.