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IS uses "poisonous substance" in shelling village: Iraqi official

Xinhua, March 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

Iraqi officials on Wednesday accused the Islamic State (IS) group of using "poisonous substance" in shelling a village in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk.

"There is a strong possibility that chemical substances have been used" as the IS intensified shelling on Taza, south of Kirkuk, during the past six weeks, Kirkuk governor Najimuddin Kareem said at a joint press conference with Turkoman member of parliament Hassan Touran.

Kareem said hospitals in Kirkuk confirmed that "there were some wounded carrying symptoms of chemical substances, which we are not sure of their kinds."

He also said the chemical substances were only aimed at intimidating the people in Taza to push them to leave their homes. "Daaish (IS) is not capable of using chemical weapons that could harm people," he added.

Touran said during the past few days more than 52 Katyusha rockets hit the village with "poisonous substances, possibly mustard gas with chlorine gas."

The Turkoman lawmaker also said tests are under way on some samples from Taza to identify the poisonous gas, adding that four people are now receiving treatment in Kirkuk's main hospital.

After fighting against the Iraqi army for about two years, the IS has taken control of large swath of territory in western and northern Iraq. The army regained Ramadi, the provincial capital of the country's largest province Anbar in December last year, and is preparing for attacks on IS-held Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq. Endit