RUSSIA accused pseudo-humanitarian group the White Helmets today of filming a fake chemical weapons attack in Syria before a new government offensive against jihadists in Aleppo.

Moscow’s Ministry of Defence claimed that dozens of the White Helmets arrived in Aleppo province to carry out the provocation, warning that they had brought toxic agents to the region from Idlib province.

Lieutenant General Vladimir Savchenko said: “Militants of illegal armed groups have not abandoned their attempts to destabilise the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone. 

“The Russian centre for reconciliation received information from residents of Aleppo that they [militants] are preparing another provocation with the use of toxic agents to accuse the government forces of using chemical weapons against the local population.”

The accusations were made just days after the Syrian Arab Army deployed its elite 4th Division to the western part of Aleppo city as part of a new drive to rid the area of resurgent jihadists from Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham, previously know as the al-Nusra Front.

Mr Shevchenko alleged the group planned to stage artillery shellfire with the toxic containers to provoke the Syrian military to retaliate. This would be used as a pretext for foreign intervention and the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The White Helmets were accused of faking a chemical attack in Douma, south-western Syria, in May, footage of which prompted devastating air strikes led by Britain, France and the US.

While insisting they are a humanitarian organisation, critics have highlighted the White Helmets’ links to jihadist terror groups and the billions of dollars received from countries committed to regime change in Syria.

“Members of the White Helmets organisation are carrying out staged filming with participation of civilians unknown to local residents,” Mr Shevchenko said of the latest provocation.