Syria accuses rebels of preparing chemical attack

DAMASCUS: The Syrian Foreign Ministry has accused rebels in Idlib province of preparing a chemical attack and frame it on the country's army. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry said the rebels in cooperation with the so-called White Helmet group and under the Turkish support are preparing to the attack in Idlib, reports Xinhua news agency.

Two tonnes of chemical substances have been brought to a village over the past two days as part of the preparation for the attack, it added. The Ministry urged the countries supporting the rebels to stop such "games that have only left civilian victims".

It also reiterated the government's stance that the Syrian forces do not possess chemical weapons and have never used them.

The new claim comes as shelling resumed between the Syrian army and the rebels on Wednesday in the southern countryside of Idlib.

Idlib has emerged as the last major rebel stronghold in Syria. In March, Turkey and Russia brokered a ceasefire between the Syrian forces and the rebel groups. However, clashes and shelling continued between the Syrian army and the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the umbrella group of the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. (IANS)

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