US intelligence officials believe Islamic State (ISIS) is using chemical attacks in both Iraq and Syria, an official stated to international media on Thursday night. "They're using mustard (gas)," the individual stated to BBC on condition of anonymity. "We know they are."
"We've seen them use it on at least four separate occasions on both sides of the border - both Iraq and Syria."
Intelligence believes that ISIS has manufactured the mustard gas, not taken stores of the weapon leftover from Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime. Assad was accused of using sarin gas on Syrian citizens in 2013; his chemical stockpile was, allegedly, fully eradicated earlier this year.
"We assess that they have an active chemical weapons little research cell that they're working on to try and get better at it," the official said, adding that the materials and technology are not difficult to obtain to make the gas. (READ MORE)
