Kurdish peshmerga forces preparing to join the attack on Mosul, the Islamic State stronghold in northern Iraq, have written to the UK defence secretary, Michael Fallon, asking urgently for equipment to protect themselves from an Isis chemical attack. Kurdish forces have so far been relying on primitive protection from chemical attacks, such as towels, water tanks and hats. He added that the protection of peshmerga forces in an attack on Mosul should be of the highest priority. He predicted the chemical weapons were likely to include chlorine fired by mortars and rockets, as well as mustard agent gas. Chemical weapons, especially the crude kind manufactured by Isis, are less lethal than conventional weapons, but they have an extreme psychological impact.

Source: The Guardian October 04, 2016 08:13 UTC