Islamic State forces have fired crude chemical weapons at US troops in Iraq, the Pentagon has confirmed, a startling disclosure that US officials promptly downplayed as resulting in no deaths or injuries. Some chemical agents and precursor materials for their manufacture had been stored on Iraqi territory formerly controlled by Isis. US officials on Wednesday did not indicate any knowledge about the provenance of the Isis mustard powder, nor did they provide any specific details about the shell. It was not known whether Isis manufactured the chemical agent itself or used an antiquated stock from either Syria or Iraq. Speaking of a potential chemical attack, Pentagon spokesman Davis said: “We are well trained and equipped for this, as are our ISF [Iraqi security force and [Kurdish] Pesh partners.”

Source: The Guardian September 22, 2016 01:18 UTC