Daesh shells Iraqi troops with chlorine gas near Mosul

By Gamal Badrani

NINEVEH, Iraq (AA) - The Daesh group has attacked army forces in northern Iraq with rockets loaded with chlorine gas, an Iraqi police officer said Monday.

“Daesh shelled army positions with Katyusha rockets carrying chlorine gas in Qayyarah, south of Mosul,” Ahmed al-Jabouri told Anadolu Agency.

He said three soldiers have exhibited suffocation symptoms following the attack.

There was no comment from Iraqi authorities on the claim.

Iraqi forces are currently preparing to launch a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country’s second largest city, which was overran by the Daesh terrorist group in 2014.

Backed by U.S.-led airstrikes, Iraqi forces have managed to retake most of the territory seized by Daesh since 2014. The militant group, however, still controls several parts in the country.