TWISTED online trolls are claiming the horrific Syria gas massacre was a ‘false flag’ operation carried out by a shadow government.

The chemical weapons assault hit rebel-held Khan Sheikhun in northwestern Syria on Tuesday, killing more than 70 civilians including children and babies.

4 One of the dozens of victims of the suspected chemical attack in northern Syria pictured wearing an oxygen mask to help her breath Credit: AP:Associated Press

4 Writer and conspiracy theorist Paul Joseph Watson is one of the social media users claiming the attack was a false flag operation

While the international community, including President Donald Trump, has condemned President Assad over the depraved attack – conspiracy nuts claim the atrocity was orchestrated by the ‘deep state’.

The term ‘false flag’ refers to a covert operation usually orchestrated by a government designed to appear as if it was carried out by another group or country.

British far-right conspiracy theorist Paul Joseph Watson is one of the ‘truthers’ peddling the vile claims online.

He believes the so-called ‘deep state’ or shadow government wants to trick President Trump into invading Syria to force regime change.

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Tweeting directly at Trump, Watson wrote: “Dear @realDonaldTrump - you are being manipulated by the same scam they pulled in 2013. No regime change in Syria.”

American documentary filmmaker Mike Cernovich also tweeted at the former Apprentice host warning him about the crackpot theory.

He posted: “President @realDonaldTrump, we will not support a war with Syria. You are being played by war mongers.”

Replying to Cernovich, another user said: “So true...... this entire attack stinks of false flags. So sad.”

4 Filmmaker Mike Cernovich is another who believes the gas attack was carried out to contrive regime change in Syria

4 A Syrian father holds his two dead twin babies killed in the depraved gas attack

Some users also retweeted a post allegedly from an anti-Assad reporter which mistakenly referred to the chemical weapons attack the day before it happened.

The post reads: “Tomorrow we are launching a media campaign to cover the airstrikes on Hama country side including the usage of CW.”

In a reply to one of Watson’s post, a Twitter user appears to stick up for President Assad who is suspected of carrying out another chemical attack in 2013.

The user wrote: “Let Russia help Assad to end the terrorists. Assad is not to blame here. He got framed by the media for a long time...”

Orient TV reporter :

"tomorrow we are launching a media campaign to cover the airstrikes on Hama country side including the usage of CW" pic.twitter.com/tZ5SWdnHp7 — Within Syria (@WithinSyriaBlog) April 4, 2017

Former Presidential hopeful Ron Paul also said there was “zero chance” Assad would have carried out the attack deliberately.

Speaking on his YouTube show ‘The Liberty Report’, far-right politician Paul said he believed the atrocity in Syria was carried out to force regime change in the country.

He said: "It makes no sense, even if you were totally separate from this and take no sides of this and you were just an analyst, it doesn’t make sense for Assad under these conditions to all of the sudden use poison gasses.

“I think it’s zero chance that he would have done this deliberately.”

Richard Spencer, the so-called leader of the Alt-Right movement on the fringes of US politics, has also retweeted posts which claim anti-Assad reporters knew about the attack beforehand.

He also tweeted out his own video blog which poses the question: "Will Trump Gas His Presidency Over Syria?"

Spencer, who has been branded a white supremacist by his critics, also retweeted a post which supported the theory that Assad was not behind the atrocity.

The post read: "Assad whatever else he might be is smart enough to be a MD,why would he do the ONE thing guaranteed to get him in trouble with the Empire?"

Will Trump Gas His Presidency Over Syria? https://t.co/m7xVrSZgOy — Richard 🦁 Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) April 6, 2017

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