Terrorists Mull ‘Chemical Attack’ in Aleppo to Frame Syrian Govt: Russia
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Terrorist groups in Syria might use chemical weapons against civilians and the army in Aleppo in order to pin the blame for the atrocities on Damascus and further undermine the crumbling peace process in the war-torn country, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
“It became known that terrorist groups are preparing provocative attacks with chemical weapons on Syrian army positions and residential areas in the east part of Aleppo to accuse government forces [of the attacks],” said Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir, the first deputy chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff on Wednesday.
The warning echoed Syrian UN envoy Bashar Ja’afari’s proclamations earlier this week, when he told the UN Security Council that militants from the hardline Ahrar Al-Sham group are planning to use white phosphorus in an attack on civilians in order to later blame it on Syrian armed forces.
Meanwhile noting the increased activity of extremists in Aleppo, the Russian general said that terrorists continue to undermine the cessation of hostilities.
“We were ready to prolong the ceasefire regime consistently, striving to extend it indefinitely. At the same time the cessation of hostilities was derailed by militants. Not only did the intensity of shelling of government forces positions fail to subside, but the armed groups’ activity increased,” Poznikhir said, RT reported.
The situation in Syria continues to deteriorate since the US bombed the Syrian army positions earlier this month. Aleppo, in particular, is seeing renewed fighting after the end to the ceasefire.
The fighting in Syria has also increased as Russia and US fail to find common diplomatic ground. On Wednesday, US State Secretary John Kerry told his counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, that the US holds Russia responsible for the violence in Aleppo and is threatening to break off all cooperation with Moscow in Syria. Russia in its turn is insisting that the US has failed to live up to its obligation to separate US-backed opposition from terrorists.
On Wednesday, Syrian state media reported that US-led coalition has targeted Syrian infrastructure “with the aim to deliberately inflict damage on sites and facilities in the country,” destroying two main bridges on the Euphrates River in the countryside of the eastern Deir ez-Zor province.