Idlib Chemical Incident ‘Provocation Aimed at Undermining Ceasefire’: Lavrov

MOSCOW— Moscow considers the alleged chemical weapons incident in the Syrian province of Idlib a provocation and an attempt to undermine the ceasefire in the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday in phone talks with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault, Sputnik reported.

“During the discussion of the situation in Syria Lavrov stressed again that the Russian side considers the April 4 incident with the use of chemical weapons in Khan Shaykhun a deliberate provocation, aimed at undermining the ceasefire and political settlement in Syria,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

 Lavrov reiterated call for the “truly independent objective investigation” of the attack, the ministry added.

The alleged chemical incident was used as pretext for a US missile strike against the Ash Sha’irat airbase carried out late on April 6. US President Donald Trump claimed the strike was a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian army. The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said missile attack was a violation of the international law. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the US missile strike against the Syrian airfield as a strategic mistake.

H.M