The Noureddine Zenki Movement vehemently denied accusations by Russia and the Assad regime that its fighters have used chemical weapons in an attack on regime positions in Aleppo. The rebel group said that Russia used the internationally banned toxic chlorine gas in airstrikes on residential areas in the town of Saraqib in rural Idlib following the crash of a Russian helicopter in the area on Tuesday.
Head of Noureddine Zenki Movement’s political bureau Mohamed Mahmoud said that no one can deny the fact that only the Assad regime has the capacity to produce and deliver chemical weapons in Syria. In a statement released earlier on Thursday, Mahmoud said that the Assad regime continues to use internationally banned weapons against the Syrian people encouraged by Russia’s veto in the UN Security Council preventing any UN resolution condemning the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Mahmoud condemned the repeated use of chemical weapons as well as cluster and incendiary weapons by the Assad regime and Russian air forces in the bombing of hospitals, residential areas, and public markets. He reiterated calls on the UN Security Council and human rights organizations to condemn and stop those crimes.
Mahmoud urged the Friends of the Syrian People Group to support the rebel and FSA fighters in their battle to defend civilians in Aleppo, adding that the movement’s participation in the rebel and FSA offensive in Aleppo is a legitimate form of self-defense. He also called for support for the rebel and FSA fighters to fend off the brutal aggression by the Assad regime and the Iranian-backed foreign militias on the Syrian people.
Russia’s chemical weapon attack on Saraqib came in revenge for the death of five crewmembers of the helicopter that crashed near the town, Mahmoud said. He added that the attack was documented by professionals at makeshift hospitals as well as by victims’ and rescue teams’ accounts.
Spokesman of Noureddine Zenki Movement Abdul Salam Abdul Razak on Thursday said that the movement does not have long-range weaponry to attack regime positions located deep in western Aleppo, describing as baseless Russia’s allegations that the rebel group used chemical weapons in Aleppo. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
