Jihadi group admits using chemical gas in attack against Kurdish fighters in Syria's Aleppo

The so-called Jaish al-Islam, or the Islam Army, admitted on Friday that one of its commanders used "unauthorized" chemical weapon in attack against the Kurdish fighters in a district in northern Aleppo province.

Jaish al-Islam fired several mortar shells into Kurdish-controlled areas in the Sheikh Maksud district in Aleppo on Thursday. The mortars consisted of chemical gas that spread upon impact.

A video of the aftermath of the attack appeared online, purporting to show how several people were suffering from breathing difficulties after the attack.

Activists said the attack killed nine civilians and injured 29 others.

In its statement Friday, Jaish al-Islam said its fighters were responding to the attempts of the Kurdish fighters to take full control of Sheikh Maksud, adding that one of its commanders used unauthorized weapons during the confrontation, and was referred to a military court to get punished according to the group's laws.

Sheikh Maksud has been a stage for intense battles recently between the Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG) and several jihadi groups, including Jaish al-Islam.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the days-long heavy battles in that district have killed and wounded over 130 people.

Both the Kurds and the jihadi groups are fighting for the full control of the district due to its strategic importance in Aleppo. Endit