ISIS & chemical weaponsISIS fired chemical shells at U.S., Iraqi troops near Mosul

Published 22 September 2016

U.S. defense officials say that on Tuesday ISIS has fired a shell containing mustard agent at the Qayarrah air base south of Msoul. U.S. and Iraqi troops use the base for operations against the Islamist group. No U.S. or Iraqi troops were hurt, and none has shown symptoms of exposure. One official told CNN that the agent had “low purity” and was “poorly weaponized.” A second official described it as “ineffective.”

U.S. defense officials say that on Tuesday ISIS has fired a shell containing mustard agent at the Qayarrah air base south of Msoul. U.S. and Iraqi troops use the base for operations against the Islamist group.

The shell was either a rocket or artillery shell, and CNN reports that U.S. troops tested the shell and received a reading which indicated the presence of a chemical agent, in all likelihood mustard.

No U.S. or Iraqi troops were hurt, and none has shown symptoms of exposure.

One official told CNN that the agent had “low purity” and was “poorly weaponized.” A second official described it as “ineffective.”

After the shell landed, U.S. troops subjected the ordnance to two field tests – and the Pentagon official said the first test was positive and the second was negative. The substance was collected and sent to a lab for a more thorough examination.

The Pentagon said that U.S. troops went through a decontamination process as a precaution.

The officials told CNN that they “had expected” that ISIS might try use chemical weapons as U.S. and Iraqi forces close in on ISIS-held Mosul, as more U.S. troops are deployed closer to the front line ahead of the battle for Mosul.

ISIS has been producing chemical weapons for a while, relying on the expertise of former Saddam military officers and scientists, and of chemistry graduates among the foreign fighters who joined ISIS. ISIS has already used chemical weapons against Kurdish fighters and civilians.

Pentagon officials noted that a mustard agent is relatively easy to produce, and that U.S. troops are equipped with protective gear against chemical weapons attack.