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Islamic State militants are launching bombs containing live scorpions as the latest terror weapon in Iraq.

Canisters of the creatures are being blasted into towns and villages, according to a British military expert who has just returned from the country.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, ex-head of chemical and biological weapons for the Army and Nato, said: “It’s madness. IS have improvised devices to launch them.

"They promote the fact that they are doing it and it creates panic.

“Scorpions are robust – even if they are launched a couple of miles, when the canister breaks thousands are flung out and start crawling all around.

"Some scorpions are very poisonous but the main thing is creating fear."

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He said the 2ft bombs were not causing mass casualties but had a massive “psychological impact”.

Mr de Bretton-Gordon – of Avon Protection Systems – returned from Baghdad last week, where he was advising security forces.

Senior Iraqi officials reported the beasts were being used to target civilian areas in the north of the country.

The weapon harks back to the scorpions stuffed into pots and launched by Iraqis thousands of years ago – in 198 AD.

They were defending themselves against the Roman invasion.