Report: Daesh Has Used Chemical Weapons Dozens of Times in Past 2 Years

Chemical weapons are banned by the 1993 Paris-New York Chemical Weapons Convention, which forbids signatory counties from producing, stockpiling and using the materials as weapons. The only states that have not signed the convention are Israel, Egypt, South Sudan and North Korea.

Daesh is notorious for using any means available to kill and conquer. Recently, the jihadist group set fire to a sulfur mine 25 miles from Mosul, and winds brought poisonous smoke onto coalition positions, where displaced civilians were sheltering. According to Stars and Stripes, US troops protected themselves with gas masks, while "hundreds of the unprotected civilians" had nothing to protect them against nosebleeds, headaches and choking.

Reports claim that the violent religious fundamentalist group has used chemical weapons in and around Mosul 19 times. The US-led coalition claims that the deadly practice has declined recently, however, according to the report, there is still a high risk that advancing forces will be met with a chemical attack.

"As the Islamic State loses ground around Mosul, there is a high risk of the group using chemical weapons to slow down and demoralize advancing enemy forces, and to potentially make an example of — and take revenge on — civilian dissidents within the city," said Columb Strack, senior analyst and head of the IHS Conflict Monitor, which collaborated on the report.

The two main chemicals Daesh is said to use are sulphur mustard and chlorine. The substances cause severe damage to the lungs and skin, as well as eye injuries, including blindness. Exposure to large quantities is lethal.

Mosul, the center of the group's activities in the region, is said to be the core of the jihadist group's chemical weapons stockpile.