Moscow warned against foreign attacks in Syrian areas where the Russian troops are located. Earlier, the US State Department had expressed concern about the reports of chemical weapons use in Douma that allegedly led to deaths of 40 people, claiming that Russia was accountable for targeting Syrians; the Russian military has refuted the allegations, saying they were aimed at disrupting of Jaysh al-Islam militants' evacuation from E Ghouta.
"Hoaxes on attacks using chlorine or other poisonous substances by Syrian government forces are continuing to emerge. Another such hoax that has supposedly taken place is the alleged chemical attack in Douma yesterday. At the same time, references have been made to the notorious NGO "White Helmets," which has been repeatedly caught acting with terrorists, as well as other so-called humanitarian organizations based in the United Kingdom and the United States," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement, Sputnik reports.
The ministry went on to say that it had repeatedly warned about possible provocations involving the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Their major aim is to accuse Syrian government forces of chemical weapons use and justify possible military intervention in Syria from abroad, according to the ministry's statement.
"It is necessary to warn once again that military intervention under far-fetched and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where the Russian servicemen are deployed at the request of the legitimate government, is absolutely unacceptable and might lead to very severe consequences," the statement said.
