Konflikten i Syrien

According to the Russian military, al-Nusra Front terrorist group brought more than 20 containers with chlorine to a village in Idlib.



The Russian center for Syrian reconciliation stated that it had received information from a local resident that al-Nusra Front terrorists and White Helmets were preparing to stage a provocation, involving chemical weapons’ use, in Syria’s Idlib province in order to blame Damascus for the attack on civilians.

“On the evening of February 12, the Russian center for reconciliation received a telephone call from the resident a settlement in the Idlib province, informing about a forthcoming provocation, using poisonous chemicals, to air it on a foreign television channel. According to the person, on the afternoon of February 12, the al-Nusra Front militants delivered brought more than 20 bottles of chlorine and personal protective equipment on three cars,” the Russian military stated.

According to the center, representatives of the local branch of the White Helms conducted rehearsals of providing “first aid” in individual means of protection to allegedly “affected local residents” from poisoning.

The person, who called, drew attention to the fact that these actions were filmed by professional TV correspondents who, commenting on the actions of representatives of the White Helmets, put on a microphone with a cover, having a logo of a Western television company.

“At the same time, correspondents consulted with someone via a satellite phone in English. Information received from a resident of the province of Idlib, causes serious concern of the Russian Center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria.”

The U.S. has no evidence to confirm reports from aid groups and others that the Syrian government has used the deadly chemical sarin on its citizens, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday.

“We have other reports from the battlefield from people who claim it’s been used,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. “We do not have evidence of it.”

He said he was not rebutting the reports.

“We’re looking for evidence of it, since clearly we are dealing with the Assad regime that has used denial and deceit to hide their outlaw actions,” Mattis said.

Syrian President Bashar Assad denies his government has used chemical weapons.

Mattis says it is clear that Assad’s government has weaponized and used chlorine gas in the Syrian civil war.

“We’re even more concerned about the possibility of sarin use,” he said. Sarin is a colorless and tasteless toxin that can cause respiratory failure leading to death.