According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, militants of the Daesh terrorist groups were planning an attack on the Kurdish troops Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in order to provoke an airstrike by the US-led coalition against the Syrian Arab Army in the region.
The Russian Defence Ministry stated that Daesh had set up the production of the shells using toxic agents at a plant in Deir ez-Zor province. According to the ministry, 11 terrorists, who had been trained in other countries, were filling the shells with toxic agents.
The Russian military previously pointed out that various militant groups and anti-government organisations, including the ‘White Helmets’, have staged poison gas attacks or used toxic agents in order to blame Damascus for using chemical weapons and prompt military strikes against the Syrian forces.