Iraq, Baghdad: Iraqi officials said on Yesterday, the Islamic State (IS) group has launched two chemical attacks near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a three year old girl, wounding some 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee. Security and hospital officials said the latest attack took place early on Yesterday in the small town of Taza, which was also struck by a barrage of rockets carrying chemicals three days earlier.
US and Iraqi officials said US special forces captured the head of the IS unit trying to develop chemical weapons in a raid last month in northern Iraq. The US-led coalition said the chemicals IS has so far used include chlorine and a low-grade sulfur mustard which is not very potent. “It’s a legitimate threat. It’s not a high threat. We’re not, frankly, losing too much sleep over it,” US Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters on Friday.
The coalition began targeting IS’ chemical weapons infrastructure with air strikes and special operations raids two months ago, Iraqi intelligence officials and a Western security official said. Air strikes are targeting laboratories and equipment, and further special forces raids targeting chemical weapons experts are planned, the officials said.