Mosul civilians suffer from chemical weapons, ISIS mortars

Civilians continue to be heavily victimized by ISIS in the battle to oust the extremist group from Mosul. At least 12 people have been admitted to hospital with symptoms indicating they were exposed to toxins from chemical weapons, while militants fire a barrage of indiscriminate mortars into east Mosul every day.

Civilians continue to be heavily victimized by ISIS in the battle to oust the extremist group from Mosul. At least 12 people have been admitted to hospital with symptoms indicating they were exposed to toxins from chemical weapons, while militants fire a barrage of indiscriminate mortars into east Mosul every day.

“During the past two days, the hospital has admitted five children and two women showing clinical symptoms consistent with an exposure to a blistering chemical agent,” Robert Mardini, Middle East director for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said in a statement published by the organization.

ISIS has used chemical weapons on several occasions, including against Peshmerga forces. The group was developing the weapons in the chemistry labs of Mosul University; Iraqi Special Forces discovered when they retook the campus in eastern Mosul earlier this year.