Russia Says Washington Supplying Dangerous Chemicals to Terrorists in Syria
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on Monday that the US administration is actively working to undermine the process of normalization between Syria and other Arab nations, adding that Washington has been providing dangerous chemicals to terrorists.
According to the SVR, militants affiliated with the CIA-controlled local wing of Al-Qaeda, the Hurras al-Din group, along with extremists from the so-called Islamic Party of Turkestan, practiced the use of these chemicals in the Syrian province of Idlib in May. The statement mentioned that around 100 civilians were reportedly poisoned during that incident, according to Sputnik.
Highlighting US involvement, the SVR emphasized that the US had supplied "missiles with warheads filled with poisonous substances" to the terrorist organization Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) in southern Syria.
The responsibility for such operations in southern Syria and the Damascus region was attributed to Deputy Commander of the US Central Command, Vice Admiral James Malloy, as per the SVR.
The statement from the SVR also accused the Biden administration of actively working to disrupt Arab-Syrian normalization and discredit Syria's leadership. It alleged that provocations, including the use of chemical poisonous substances, were being prepared for this purpose.
Approximately one-third of Syria is still occupied, including areas controlled by the United States, which holds power over oil and food-producing regions east of the Euphrates River. The US maintains military camps in these territories and trains militants.
Syrian officials have strongly criticized the US and its allies for their involvement in what they describe as a "dirty war." They have demanded the withdrawal of all foreign forces not explicitly invited by the Damascus government and the restoration of Syria's full control over its internationally recognized borders.