I'd be extremely wary of such reports coming from the government. I don't know about other sources but that article provides absolutely no additional information beyond the claim. And I imagine this kind of information is nearly impossible to verify, which they may be betting on.
In short, given the current state of media and government, it wouldn't surprise me if this were just propaganda.
In short, given the current state of media and government, it wouldn't surprise me if this were just propaganda.