US attacks Syria to boost terrorists military, spiritual strength: Senior security official

Shamkhani stressed that the chemical attack in Khan Sheikhun near Idlib in Syria is still vague since there is no evidence or justification for Syrian government to use chemical weapons, according to IRNA.

Shamkhani made the remarks while commenting on US airstrikes on Syria’s Shayrat airfield which was targeted by 59 US Tomahawk missiles fired from two US warships in the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday night.

The US administration said that the missile attack was carried out in response to the chemical attack in Idlib which they claimed was made by the Syrian government. An allegation which is strongly denied by Damascus.

The US airstrike was made without permission from UN Security Council or that of the US Congress.

Noting that military aggression against other countries under empty and suspicious pretexts has, so far, left behind bitter experiences for the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, the official expressed hope that the new US administration is not to make similar bitter experiences for the US nation and its Army in Syria.

Underlining the ambiguous aspects of the deplorable chemical explosion in Idlib, Shamkhani said that there is no evidence or operational and political justification for the Syrian government to use chemical weapons.

All of the country’s chemical weapons were totally collected and destroyed by the UN inspectors years ago, he said, recalling Iran’s warnings over terrorists’ access to mass destruction weapons.

Stressing the need for the establishment of an independent fact-fining committee to investigate the chemical explosion in Idlib, Shamkhani said that while all political and military parties are seeking to annihilate terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq, undertaking moves such as US missile strike on Syria is completely purposeful and in line with promoting terrorists’ military and spiritual strength.

US’ criminal aggression against Syria which runs against international norms is a clear sign of the country’s continued policy to take advantage of terrorism to push its political aims in the Arab state, Shamkhani said.

He noted there is no doubt that such moves which would only make political and security equations further complicated in Syria and help form dangerous and unpredictable currents, would not lead to dampen the Syrian nation and government’s motivation in seriously fighting against terrorism.

“We are monitoring Syrian developments carefully and sensitively and will continue fighting against terrorism decisively through close consultations with our allies irrespective of certain Arab states and their allies’ harassments,” he said. 

Syrian military forces are fighting against Daesh terrorists in the east of Homs province and the Takfiri group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, in north of the country.