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Moscow Calls for Prevention of New Chemical Provocations by Militants in Syria

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - New chemical provocations that are being prepared by militants in Syria must be prevented as they are aimed at undermining political dialogue and efforts to bring peace to the war-torn country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
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"We are receiving more and more alarming information from various sources that certain groups of terrorists and extremists in Syria are not leaving attempts to carry out large-scale provocations using chemical weapons and toxic substances," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry explained that these plots were aimed at to give a pretext to new strikes from the US and its allies, as well as to undermine the recovery of Syria.

"It is absolutely clear that the main goal of the chemical provocations by extremists is to give another pretext to external opponents of the legitimate government in Damascus to carry out aggressive actions, similar to unlawful missile strikes by the United States, Great Britain and France on Syria in April this year, to undermine the establishment of the political process, to slow down the recovery of the country, and hinder the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes. This cannot be allowed," the ministry stressed.

Terrorists Preparing to Use Chemical Weapons Against Children in Syria – MoD
The statement was made a day after the Russian Defense Ministry reported that White Helmets organization had arrived in the Syrian Aleppo province from Idlib to carry out a chemical weapons' provocation. According to the military statement, the members of the organization were staging a staged video of a nuclear attack, involving local residents. The provocation was aimed to blame the Syrian government for "the use of toxic agents".

READ MORE: White Helmets Started Filming Fake Chemical Weapons Attack — Russian MoD

Last week Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen TV channel reported that militants and the White Helmets group transported toxic materials from the city of Jisr al-Shughur to the settlement of Khirbat al Amud in Syria's Idlib province. The broadcaster didn't specify what kind of poisonous substance had been relocated.

READ MORE: Canada Accepts Dozens of White Helmets Evacuated from Syria — Reports

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