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Militants plotting provocation to blame government forces for strikes in Syria’s Idlib

According to deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria Vyacheslav Sytnik, а team of activists of the pseudo-humanitarian organization White Helmets arrived in the area with professional video equipment

MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. Militants are plotting a provocation in the Idlib de-escalation zone to put the blame for strikes at populated localities on Syria’s government forces, Vyacheslav Sytnik, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, said on Sunday.

"According to our information, militants of illegal armed groups are plotting a provocation to blame Syria’s government forces for delivering strikes at settlements in thee Idlib de-escalation zone," he said.

According to Sytnik, increased activities of militants from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) were observed near the town of Fu’ah in the Idlib governorate. "A team of activists of the pseudo-humanitarian organization White Helmets arrived in the area with professional video equipment," he said.

The Russian reconciliation center calls on commanders of illegal armed groups to stop armed provocations and embark on a path of peaceful settlement of the situation on territories they control, he stressed.

The Russian reconciliation center continues to fulfill assigned tasks after the completion of the military campaign in Syria. The center’s officers regularly travel around the country's liberated areas to assess the humanitarian situation. The main efforts of the Russian military are now focused on assistance to the refugees returning to their homes and evacuation of civilians from de-escalation zones.

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