ISIS Chemical Attack Kills 3 Year Old, Wounds 600

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According to Iraqi officials, ISIS launched two chemical attacks near Kirkuk in northern Iraq. A 3-year-old girl was killed, some 600 were wounded, and hundreds more were forced to flee.

“What the Daesh [ISIS] terrorist gangs did in the city of Taza will not go unpunished,” said Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi during a meeting with village elders. “The perpetrators will pay dearly.”

This latest attack took place early on Saturday in the small town of Taza, according to security and hospital officials. Taza was struck by a barrage of rockets armed with chemical weapons just three days earlier.

Dehydration, suffocation, and infected burns are afflicting hundreds of wounded, according to Helmi Hamdi, a nurse at Taza’s hospital.

“There is fear and panic among the women and children,” said local official Adel Hussein. “They’re calling for the central government to save them.”

Teams of German and American forensic experts arrived on site to investigate the presence of chemical material.

This attack is one of many ISIS has perpetrated in recent months. The Pentagon estimates that ISIS used chemical weapons at least 12 times in both Iraq and in Syria. CIA Director John Brennan confirmed the estimation during an interview with 60 Minutes.

“We have a number of instances where ISIL has used chemical munitions on the battlefield,” said Brennan.

So far, ISIS used chlorine and low-grade sulfur mustard in attacks, both not particularly potent. “It’s a legitimate threat. It’s not a high threat. We’re not, frankly, losing too much sleep over it,” said US Army Col Steve Warren.