Has the ISIS sourced Mustard Gas?

New Delhi, Aug 14: If the claims by the United States of America that the ISIS has started using Mustard Gas is true, then it is an extremely worrisome development. The ISIS which has often boasted about enhanced weapons in its possession is believed to have used Mustard Gas against the Iraqi Kurd fighters last week.

The US officials confirmed the use of Mustard Gas, a chemical weapon to a newspaper and even stated that the ISIS may have obtained it from Syria.

A team of the US and Iraqi fighters will now investigate the use of Mustard Gas an asphxiant that has been banned by the UN in the year 1993.

ISIS had boasted about chemical weapons:

The ISIS which is today the strongest terrorist group in the world had boasted about its capabilities. While stating that it had access to chemical weapons, it had also stated recently that it could source nuclear weapons from a rogue scientist in Pakistan.

Based on previous reports that, it was also suggested that with the ISIS gaining so much territory in Syria, it could have accessed chemical weapons from there. The ISIS has managed to beat down a large part of the government machinery in Syria and hence sourcing these weapons may not have been entirely problematic.

In fact in the year 1993, it was due to the use of this gas in the civil war in Syria the chemical substance had been banned. The United Nations adopted the Chemical Weapons Convention to ban the use of mustard gas and other chemical agents in warfare.

The use of Mustard Gas was reported by the Iraqi Kurd fighters. They claimed that they were attacked with Mustard Gas by the ISIS. Rockets had been filled with the gas and fired upon them. Most of the fighters reported injuries to their throats.

What is Mustard Gas?

Mustard gas also known as sulfur mustard is a chemical agent which can be absorbed by the body through inhalation, ingestion or by coming into contact with the skin or eyes. It was first used in the World War I to incapacitate the enemy in large numbers.

It is generally used in a gaseous state and it gets the name Mustard Gas as it emits an odor similar to mustard.

A person who is affected by the Mustard Gas does not show any symptoms upto 12 hours. It is only after that does the effect take place.

Although it does not cause death, it could cause permanent disability or disfigurement due to burns. However in most cases reported, people have gone blind or developed chronic breathing problems.

OneIndia News