Islamic State mustard gas against peshmerga fighters: reportOctober 8, 2015 - 11:12 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Islamic State (IS) militants fired mortar rounds containing mustard agent at Kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq, Kurdish officials say, according to BBC News. The Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs said blood samples from about 35 fighters revealed traces of sulphur mustard. It did not say if any of the peshmerga had died as a result of the attack, or how severely they had been wounded. Mustard gas can burn skin and cause severe respiratory problems, and is banned under international law. The exposure took place along the front lines near the northern Iraqi towns of Makhmour and Gwer, the ministry said in a statement. Roughly 37 mortars were fired in the attack, the statement added, "releasing white smoke and a black liquid". The ministry called on countries fighting IS to give peshmerga fighters equipment for protection against chemical attacks. Several countries including the United States are already giving military assistance to the Kurdish fighters. Photo: AP Related links: Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Police try to impede Armenian Church head’s access to war memorial Police tried to stop the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, from visiting a war memorial. Greece says ready to help as Armenia fights flooding consequences Greece is ready to assist Armenia in combatting the consequences of deadly floods in the country’s north. “He will leave”: Protest leader no longer demands meeting with Pashinyan Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan no longer demands a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. |