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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Damascus - Asharq Al-Awsat

Damascus Says Militants Plot to Stage ‘Chemical Attack’ in Idlib

The United Nations vehicle carrying the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) inspectors is seen in Damascus, Syria. (Reuters/File)

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said that al-Qaeda linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group plans to stage a chemical attack in Syria’s Idlib, affirming that chlorine gas barrels were recently delivered through Bab Al-Hawa border crossing to Atma.

Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted a reliable source from the Ministry as saying that a chemical factory and a laboratory for preparing Chlorine are located in Atma.

According to SANA, the source said those acts are "guided and supported by the US, some Western countries and Turkish intelligence services."

In this regard, the Syrian Foreign Ministry demanded that the countries that sponsor terror groups stop their games that could lead to civilian casualties.

"Syria will hold the countries that support those terrorists responsible for using toxic materials and killing innocent civilians without any moral deterrent."

“Syria also calls on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to not ignore that information" the statement read, stressing "the need to take it very seriously and deal with it within the framework of its mandate specified in light of the Chemical Weapons’ Convention.”

The Ministry also affirmed in its statement that fabricating chemical scenarios won’t affect Syria’s stance in combating terrorism.

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