Staged Chemical Attacks In Idlib To Do Much Harm To Syrian Settlement Process - Lavrentyev

Possible false flag provocations with the use of chemical weapons in Syria's province of Idlib will bring much harm not only to civilians but also to the political settlement process in the war torn country, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said on Tuesday.

GENEVA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2018) Possible false flag provocations with the use of chemical weapons in Syria's province of Idlib will bring much harm not only to civilians but also to the political settlement process in the war torn country, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said on Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, it is beneficial for someone, but, as we believe, not only the civilian population will suffer. This will bring much harm to the political settlement process. We believe that the joint efforts of the international community should prevent such a scenario," Lavrentyev told reporters in Geneva.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russia, Turkey and Iran held a quadrilateral meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, during which constitutional commission and Idlib situation were reviewed.

While the Syrian authorities have managed to regain control over most of the country's territories following several years of fighting against terrorists and opposition groups, the Idlib de-escalation zone remains a stronghold of insurgency. On August 25, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said that terrorists were planning to stage a false-flag chemical attack in Idlib in order to provoke western states' attacks against the Syrian government which they would consider responsible for the offensive.