This development is especially a matter of concern in view of the fresh waves of attacks against American forces in Iraq, and confirmation from the Pentagon that ISIS, also known as the Islamic State or ISIL, even used a dreaded chemical weapon against American troops.
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The military has requested approval to send 500 more troops to Iraq to assist in missions to retake Mosul from the Islamic State.
The top USA general says a rocket that landed on a military base in northern Iraq contained chemical agents that cause human skin to blister.
The terror group has been suspected of attempting to make crude chemical weapons across its territory in Iraq and Syria by intelligence services. No one was killed or injured in the attack, which occurred Tuesday evening.
“One we struck last week, which was a pharmaceutical plant, which is part of the chemical warfare network that [the Islamic State group] has”, Dunford told lawmakers, referring to a strike earlier this month against a chemical weapons plant near Mosul. “The 500 would be in addition to roughly 400 new personnel the US sent to Iraq in early September to prepare for the Mosul offensive”, it highlighted.
ISIS militants deployed a weapon containing a mustard agent against the base on Tuesday, though no USA troops were injured.
US and Iraqi officials have said the push on Mosul could begin in October, though there are concerns that not enough planning has been done for how to manage Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, if and when ISIS is expelled. “We’re very anxious that we won’t be able to prepare in time” for the Mosul battle, she said in a statement.
“In February, the USA military announced that it captured Sulayman Dawud al Bakkar, the Islamic State’s “’emir’ of chemical and traditional weapons manufacturing”, during a raid in Iraq.
The sources said the ISIS surrounded the city with oil tanks, which they intend to set on fire once the Iraqi army and coalition forces begin their advance. “But I don’t think there’s any doubt, it will be Raqqa and Mosul, and Iraqi officials have confirmed that they would like to take the city in October”.
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Following the United Nations report, White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the anti-ISIS coalition had placed “a high priority on targeting” ISIS chemical weapons capabilities.
