ISIS Accused Of Using 'Weaponised' Chemicals In Car Bomb Attack; US General Worried Of ISIS Entering US Through Caribbean

ISIS has allegedly used chemical weapons against the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. Iraqi Kurds claim they have evidence of militants using chemicals against their forces in an attack in January.

The Security Council of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq said samples from clothing and soil were taken after ISIS launched a car bomb attack on Jan. 23, reports The Independent. The laboratory analysis showed that the samples contained chlorine. The results suggested that the substance was used in a “weaponised form.”

Chlorine is considered a toxic substance under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention and is banned in any armed conflict. The substance was first used as a choking agent during World War I. Kurdish officials said in a statement that the analysis of the samples was done in a laboratory certified by the European Union. The security council’s allegations have not been verified independently as authorities are still looking into the matter.

Kurdish officials said the chemical attack happened on a road between Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, and the Syrian border. Peshmerga forces had been fighting to recapture the critical supply line used by the Sunni militants. Officials claimed fighters had discovered about 20 gas canisters loaded onto the vehicle involved in the attack.

An official from the Kurdish council told AP that dozens of fighters were treated for nausea, vomiting, dizziness and general weakness after the attack. The unnamed official had spoken under the condition of anonymity since he was not authorised to talk about the incident, reports CBS.

Meanwhile, a top U.S. general has warned that ISIS militants could enter North America via the Caribbean. In a Pentagon briefing, U.S. Southern Command chief Gen. John Kelly said small Caribbean countries like Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname had expressed concerns about militants coming home to launch terror attacks, reports Breitbart.

The general said ISIS might take advantage of trafficking organisations in the region to enter the U.S. Kelly had observed that Latin American countries lack the ability to monitor ISIS activity. He was also concerned about the presence of terror group Hezbollah in Latin America. Previous reports have indicated that Iran is backing Hezbollah.

ISIS had called on supporters on social media in the past year to infiltrate the southern border of the U.S. However, the general said the government has not seen evidence of this happening in the country.

To report problems or leave feedback on this article, contact: r.su@ibtimes.com.au