US government believes that jihadists are using mustard gas and other rudimentary chemical agents. At least four attacks along the border between the two countries in which use emerged. IS fighters also producing handmade weapons. The United Nations has launched an investigation.

Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Islamic State militias (IS) "are producing and using" rudimentary chemical weapons in Syria and Iraq, US officials reported  to the BBC, while Washington has stated that it now has credible reason to believe that  jihadists are using unconventional weapons in the wars in the Middle East. According to the US government, on at least four occasions the IS has exploded bombs of mustard gas in the battles along the border between Syria and Iraq.

The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also states that the chemical agent has been used in powder form and placed within traditional ordnances. The same BBC also reports that its crew have found evidence of the use of chemical weapons by the Islamic State at the border between Turkey and Syria, which is also the theater of war and a crossing point used by extremists to carry weapons and cash.

With regard to the manner in which the jihadists obtained supplies of chemical material, at the moment there are several suspicions: the first is that they produce it themselves; that the militiamen found chemical material concealed within caches in the territories now under their control, in Syria or Iraq (less likely).

However, the most plausible theory is that they have produced it themselves using weapons and materials available on the Web and on the market. Moreover, experts warn, "it is not that hard" to make mustard bombs.

What’s more there should no longer be a threat of chemical weapons following the agreement strongly wanted by the United Nations, under which Damascus handed over more than 1,100 tons of toxic agents and chemical materials. The process began in October 2013 and ended in June of the following year.

Last month, the UN has promoted an investigation to determine whether individuals, groups or army fighters are using chemical weapons in Syria. At the same time, US military sources reveal that the analysis of exploded missile fragments used by the Islamic State show traces of chemicals. What’s certain is that the Daesh (Arabic acronym for the IS) used chemicals in attacks on Kurdish militias in northern Iraq.

Since March 2011, the date of the beginning of the clashes between Assad's government and a varied coalition of opponents, 240,381 people have died. According to UN figures, there are about 10 million displaced. At least 4 million have chosen neighboring countries - Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq - while another 150 thousand have applied to the European Union for asylum. The other 6.5 million are internally displaced, people who have had to abandon everything but have chosen to remain in the country.

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