German defence ministry says peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq believe they were attacked with rockets filled with chlorine

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State in northern Iraq have reported being attacked with chemical weapons, according to the German defence ministry.



“We have indications that there was an attack with chemical weapons,” a ministry spokesman said, saying many peshmerga fighters had reportedly been left suffering from respiratory irritation.

A senior official from the peshmerga said the attack happened two days ago and wounded several dozen fighters.

“Last Tuesday afternoon, peshmerga forces in the Makhmur area 30 miles (50km) west of the city of Irbil were attacked with Katyusha rockets filled with chlorine,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

A ministry spokesman said German forces were not present during the attack.

Germany has been supporting the Kurdish peshmerga fighters since September as they push against Isis, and currently has about 90 personnel on the ground.

Isis has previously been accused of using chlorine against Kurdish forces in Iraq.

In March, the autonomous Kurdish government in northern Iraq said it had evidence that the jihadi group used chlorine in a car bomb attack on 23 January.

Last month, the Conflict Armament Research group and Sahan Research group said Isis had also targeted peshmerga with a projectile filled with an unknown chemical agent on 21 or 22 June.

The chemical used had characteristics and clinical effects “consistent with a chlorine chemical agent”, the groups said.

The organisations said they had also documented two such attacks against Kurdish fighters from the People’s Protection Units in Syria’s north-eastern Hasakeh province on 28 June.

It said that upon impact, the projectiles had released a yellow gas “with a strong smell of rotten onions”.

There were no deaths but troops exposed to it had experienced burning of the throat, eyes and nose, severe headaches, muscle pain, impaired concentration and mobility, and vomiting.