US confirms Daesh used chemical rocket in Iraq troop attack

The US military has confirmed that a rocket launched by Daesh militants at American troops based in Iraq did contain a mustard agent.

No-one was hurt during the attack on Tuesday which targeted the Qayyarah air base near the Daesh stronghold of Mosul.

Marine Gen Joseph Dunford, chairman of US joint chiefs of staff, said the group's capability to deliver chemical weapons was rudimentary.

But the attack, he added, was a "concerning development".

Daesh has long been suspected of making and using crude chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria, where it also controls territory.

Mustard agent in sufficient quantities can maim or kill by damaging skin, eyes and airways.