Chemical weapons found in Mosul in ISIS lab, say Iraqi forces

Iraqi forces have said they have discovered a mustard chemical warfare agent in eastern Mosul alongside a cache of Russian surface-to-surface missiles.

Iraqi forces have said they have discovered a mustard chemical warfare agent in eastern Mosul alongside a cache of Russian surface-to-surface missiles.

Iraqi and US officials have repeatedly warned of efforts by ISIS to develop chemical weapons. When Iraqi forces retook Mosul University this month, they found chemistry labs they believed had been converted into makeshift weapons labs.

Brigadier General Haider Fadhil from Iraqi Special Forces said French officials tested the chemical this week and confirmed it was a mustard agent. “We know that they were using this place to experiment with chemical weapons,” he said, referring to ISIS.

Fadhil did not specify the quantity or potency of the chemical, but Iraqi soldiers were able to visit the site for about 10 minutes without exhibiting symptoms of exposure.

Iraqi forces declared Mosul’s eastern half fully liberated, just over three months after the operation to retake the city from Isis was formally launched in October.