US-backed Zionist proxy-terrorists currently occupying Idlib Province have in the recent days been escalating attacks against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in violation of the Russian-negotiated ceasefire agreement implemented in September, in what appears to be an intensifying coordinated attempt to sabotage the agreement and provoke some sort of Syrian army offensive. Meanwhile, recent media reports revealed that al-Nusra and its terrorist affiliates including the White Helmets are preparing to stage another chemical attack scenario "in any area" where the SAA "would respond to their attacks," the plan being to accuse the Syrian army of using chemical weapons "in order to solicit Western interference and justify a new aggression on Syria," the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on November 16.
Recent media reports said that in addition to possessing chemical weapons, Jabhet al-Nusra provided these weapons to other terror organizations affiliated to it to distribute them in Idleb and at the outskirts of the “demilitarized zone.”
Reports said al-Nusra and the “White Helmets” are determined to establish a network of chemical materials caches in the demilitarized zone to maintain their logistical readiness to quickly carry out provocations using chemicals when needed whenever a front is opened in Aleppo countryside, Hama, or Idleb, which would lead to accusing the Syrian Arab Army of carrying out chemical attacks to justify Western interference. - SANA
Speaking of a new front opening; on the same day, the al-Mayadeen TV correspondent in Syria, Dima Nasir, "said that the SAA and its allies are preparing for a limited military operation in Idlib, in response to the repeated violations of the Russian-Turkish deconfliction agreement," SouthFront reported on Monday. This planned operation could be launched in just a few days, according to Nasir, and will target positions, ammo depots and headquarters of radical terrorists in and around Idlib. The Syrian authorities have continuously warned that if the repeated ceasefire violations by the terrorist groups in Idlib are not halted, then the SAA will resume with offensive operations on radical militants in the province - where Russia has documented over 530 such violations since September 17.
The al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist groups in Idlib clearly don't want peace and have been working to sabotage the de-escalation agreement since the day it was implemented on September 17, by repeatedly attacking positions of the SAA and occasionally civilian targets; while these provocative attacks in violation of the ceasefire have only intensified and escalated in the past two weeks since Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS), the al-Qaeda group in de-facto control of the province, held military drills in Idlib on November 6, clearly signaling preparation for a continued war effort. On the same day, the Russian Ambassador to the UN warned at a UN Security Council meeting that militants in Idlib along with the White Helmets were "still preparing for large-scale provocations through using toxic substances to accuse the Syrian army and to provide pretexts for launching new aggression on Syria."
He noted that Russia obtained information on that terrorists of the so-called “Turkistan Army” and the “White Helmets” transported 20 containers of liquid chlorine and canisters containing toxic substances to Ezaz town and other areas in Aleppo Countryside, in addition to equipment required for filming their new provocative play. - SANA
Since then the attacks have increased in frequency and intensity, now occurring on an almost non-stop basis, this increased escalation starting with 5 attacks in just 48 hours on November 10-11. (More details and sources for these events of November 6-11) All this was around the exact same time the US and Israel were also ramping up their anti-Syrian propaganda in regards to the S-300 air defense system, with US envoy to Syria James Jeffrey on November 7 calling on Russia to 'permit' unprovoked Israeli aggression against Syria.
Terrorists operating out of the Idib area have carried out dozens of attacks in the past few weeks, and these attacks have mostly been in southern Aleppo, northern Hama, southern Idlib and Latakia. In the past several days, however, the attacks have become even more fierce and much deadlier, indicating the attempts to escalate the situation are succeeding and that the Syrian army's patience is likely now quickly wearing thin.
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On November 16, the same day the plan for this new Syrian military operation was announced, terrorists of the “Wa Harid al-Muminin” operations room, an al-Qaeda alliance formed with the open aim of sabotaging the ceasefire, killed as many as 18 Syrian soldiers in an attack in northern Latakia, and also targeted SAA positions in southwestern Aleppo countryside with an armed drone and grenade launchers, reportedly killing 1 Syrian soldier and wounding 6 others.
Just a day earlier on November 15, US envoy to Syria James Jeffrey was again ramping up the anti-Syrian propaganda, this time with the ridiculous claim that President Bashar al-Assad with the help of Iran created ISIS, the very group the Syrian alliance has been successfully defeating with Russia's help since 2015. "The Syrian regime produced ISIS," Jeffrey said, despite all the evidence indicating ISIS was in fact a US and Israeli creation which, along with al-Qaeda and other Jihadi terrorist 'opposition' groups, was armed and funded by the West in order to topple the Syrian government. Below is SouthFront's excellent Syrian War Report for November 16 discussing this nonsensical western propaganda narrative - U.S. EXPOSES ASSAD’S ‘EVIL PLAN’ TO HURL MIDDLE EAST INTO CHAOS:
On November 18, the SAA foiled an infiltration attempt by the HTS-allied Jaish al-Izza terrorist group which was attempting to launch attacks on Syrian army positions in the northern Hamaa countryside. On the same day, the SAA shelled multiple terrorist positions in Idlib in apparent response to the 18 Syrian soldiers killed few days earlier, and this may also signal the Syrian army's continued preparation for new military operations there.
In another apparent sign of this coming operation and also on the same day, a Russian IL-20 Reconnaissance plane and drones were spotted flying over Idlib repeatedly in what may be the most Russian sorties flown over Idlib in a single day since the de-escalation agreement was implemented in September, and which residents also believe may indicate preparations to resume offensive military operations in the terrorist-occupied province. The Russian spy plane was likely identifying terrorist positions and collecting radar images of terrorist targets for the upcoming operation.
Terrorists from various Jihadist groups in Idlib continue to violate the ceasefire and infiltrate into Syrian-controlled territory in attempts to carry out attacks against SAA positions. Just today (11/20/18) the SANA reported that the Syrian army repelled an attack from the ranks of "Ajnad al-Kavkaz" in southwestern Idlib countryside, and also foiled an infiltration attempt towards army positions in the northern Hamaa countryside by terrorists linked to the "al-Ezza Brigades." A day earlier on Monday, the SAA also targeted an "al-Ezza Brigades"-linked terrorist group attempting to carry out attacks on the outskirts of the demilitarized zone near the towns of al-Latamina and al-Zalaqiyat.
Prior to this recent wave of escalations in Idlib, the US and Israel had already been increasing focus on and directing propaganda efforts against Iran and Syria, in what looked to be preparations for increasing foreign intervention, and quite possibly a more open and direct war against Syria and Iran. It is certainly no coincidence that the increased western focus on and propaganda efforts against Syria coincide with the western proxy-terrorists both escalating tensions in Idlib, while at the same time once again preparing to stage another false flag chemical attack whenever the SAA renews offensive military operations there.
This data suggests that the scenario of using chemical weapons is still an option for these organizations and the intelligence agencies that operate them, especially since the demilitarized zone is facing today a real test in light of the continuous violations to it by these organizations, which necessitate a response by the Syrian Arab Army.
This suggests that the persistence of terrorists with their provocations is upon the orders of their employers, and are made according to a deliberate plan that may snowball into a confrontation, at which time they would have the opportunity to accuse the Syrian Arab Army of a chemical attacks to justify a Western aggression. - SANA
Even if the US-backed White Helmet terrorists and affiliates are able to successfully stage another attack in the near future during any sort of SAA military operation and advance into the terrorist-occupied enclave, it is unlikely to deter the Syrian army from crushing the terrorists, even if the US were to once again respond by launching a massive barrage of cruise missiles at SAA targets, which are now also better defended by the S-300s anyway. The radical Jihadi terrorists in Idlib and all of Syria will be crushed and defeated, and no amount of western intervention is likely to change that. It is time for the US get out of Syria, NOW, before US troops are pitted against fighters of the Syrian alliance who are simply protecting Syria from a brutal foreign terrorist invasion.
Related evidence proving the US is protecting terrorists in Syria (Idlib) in a post from early September:
https://steemit.com/informationwar/@jasonliberty/us-uk-war-propaganda-goes-wild-ahead-of-idlib-offensive-in-attempt-to-protect-terrorists-in-syria
Massive collection of evidence exposing the White Helmet terrorists and their western supporters put together by @clarityofsignal:
https://steemit.com/news/@clarityofsignal/massive-white-helmets-photo-cache-proves-hollywood-gave-oscar-to-terrorist-group-archived-for-posterity-in-new-age-of-internet