IS burns sulfur mine near Mosul, 1,000 in hospital
Nearly 1,000 people near Mosul were treated for breathing difficulties linked to a sulfur plant that was torched by the Islamic State group as Iraqi forces and their allies launched a major offensive this week to retake the south of the Iraq’s second-largest city from the group
Mahmoud Osman, a medical assistant at an emergency hospital in the city, said on Saturday that people were treated for breathing difficulties the day before because of the smoke. He said they ran out of hydrocortisone and oxygen supplies. Most patients were under 18 or elderly.
The hospital deployed five mobile teams to outlying villages, but their ability to reach residents in the region is hampered by the volatile security situation. Osman said eight patients with serious respiratory problems were sent to a hospital in the Kurdish regional capital, Irbil.
Iraqi forces are waging a major offensive aimed at retaking Mosul from the Islamic State group, which captured Iraq’s second largest city in the summer of 2014.
IRAQI PM RESISTS US PUSH FOR TURKISH ROLE
US defence secretary Ash Carter’s push for Iraq to let Turkey play a role in the Mosul battle encountered resistance from Iraq’s prime minister, who said his country’s forces will oust IS militants from the northern city.
“I know the Turks want to participate, we tell them thank you, this is something the Iraqis will handle and the Iraqis will liberate Mosul and the rest of the territories,” Haider al-Abadi said through a translator after meeting with the Pentagon chief in Baghdad.
Iraqi, Kurdish and other local forces will handle the battle for Mosul, al-Abadi said.