5 die, 58 wounded in new chlorine gas attack, this time in Baghdad; 3rd since late January

A woman cries over her son at a Baghdad hospital following Tuesday's attack in Taji. Chlorine gas reacts with water in moist tissue, such as the eyes and lungs, to create acid, which burns tissue. A few breaths containing chlorine at a thousand parts per million can be lethal.

Iraqi insurgents have blown up a lorry carrying chlorine gas canisters in Baghdad - the second such attack involving toxic chemicals in two days, the US military said today.

At least five people were killed in the explosion and 55 were admitted to hospital, some of them struggling to breathe and suffering from stinging eyes, Iraqi police sources said.

The Iraqi military said the two attacks suggested insurgents might have begun a coordinated strategy to try to unleash toxic and potentially deadly materials. "The terrorists are using dirty means," said Brigadier General Qassim Moussawi.

Read the rest at the Guardian

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