MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th February, 2020) The Russian Defense Ministry has learned that the White Helmets, backed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as Nusra Front, banned in Russia), are preparing a new provocation involving toxic agents in Syria, the ministry's center for Syria reconciliation said on Monday.
The center said it had received the information at 22:15 Moscow time (19:15 GMT), through a phone call from two residents of a settlement, located 0.6 miles to the north-west of Aleppo.
Around 15 representatives of the White Helmets arrived in the Idlib de-escalation zone on Saturday to prepare the provocation, which is expected to be conducted under the guidance of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader, who has already engaged in the 2017 chemical provocation in Idlib's Khan Shaykhun.
"The new provocation is expected to be staged in the Maarat al-Artik settlement, with participation of a crowd, comprised of around 200 people, who are relatives of militants who have arrived in the Idlib de-escalation zone, including children, who have been previously exported from southern provinces," the reconciliation center said in a statement.
The White Helmets have delivered 400 liters of chemical agent to the site where they plan to stage and film the provocation, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
The ministry called on all the participants of the provocation to abandon their "criminal plans" and also asked Turkey to put pressure on militants staying in the de-escalation zone's area controlled by Ankara in order to prevent the provocation.
