The Islamic State jihadist group may use chemical weapons in the impending battle for its Iraqi stronghold of Mosul, the ARA News website cited officials as saying on Wednesday.
IS militants have moved large quantities of chemical weapons to the northern city which they seized in neighbouring Syria, according to the ARA News report.
"IS brought several shipments of chemical weapons, particularly chlorine and mustard agents, to Mosul earlier this week," ARA News quoted the head of Nineveh media centre Raafat al-Zarari as saying.
A Kurdish Peshmerga official reportedly said he thought it was "highly possible" that IS would use chemical warfare in its bid to hold Mosul.
“Using chemical agents during the fight is highly possible, and we’ll make our preparations for such a scenario, ” ARA News cited the official as saying on condition of anonymity.
"If those reports are confirmed, we may face a more complex situation in the battle for Mosul than expected,” the official added.
IS has recently changed its main positions inside the city and installed new checkpoints on the outskirts of Mosul, the official said.
"The terror group is willing to put all of its strength in the upcoming battle for Mosul,” the official stated.
A long-awaited military operation to re-take Mosul from IS is being planned by Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Iraqi Army troops, supported by the US-led coalition against IS and is expected to start within weeks.
The group seized control of Mosul in June 2014 during a lightening sweep across Iraq's north and west.
IS has used banned chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria, according to a joint investigation by the United Nations and a chemical weapons watchdog, ARA News reported.
On 21 September, IS militants hit an Iraqi military base with shells that reportedly contained mustard agent, the news site said.
In April, IS jihadists attacked Kurdish Peshmerga positions in northern Iraq using rockets filled with chlorine gas killing at least one Kurdish Peshmerga fighter and injuring four more, ARA News reported.
