Jabhat al-Nusra members. FILE IMAGE: Hosam Katan / Reuters
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) has brought more than 20 containers with chlorine to a village in the Syrian province of Idlib, the Russian Defense Ministry said on February 13. The ministry added that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the White Helmets are now preparing a provocation against the Damascus government in the area.
“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 [Jabhat al-Nusra] militants delivered brought more than 20 bottles of chlorine and personal protective equipment on three cars,” the Russian state-run news agency Sputnik quoted the ministry’s statement.
The ministry added that the White Helms already conducted rehearsals of providing “first aid” to allegedly “affected local residents” from poisoning.
“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 statement continued.
