Iraq: Jihadist group announces chemical attack on Baghdad

[link to www.adnki.com]

For the first time, terrorists linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi are claiming to have struck the Iraqi capital Baghdad with chemical weapons. The claim was made in a statement published on the Internet by Islamic group al-Taifa Mansura (The Victorious Side) which is part of the al-Qaeda network and close to its Iraqi representative, al-Zarqawi. The same group last Sunday threatened to attack the Green Zone in Baghdad with missiles containing chemical warheads unless the Americans halted the ongoing offensive against the city of Telafar.

A short while ago, in a second statement the group claimed responibility for missile attacks on central Baghdad from 8.30am till 10am local time on Tuesday morning. The message alleged that chemical weapons hit the interior ministry, the foreign ministry and the American training school which is also located in the heavily fortified Green Zone.

Iraqi police have confirmed that there were several explosions this morning and eyewitnesses say plumes of smoke could be seen rising above central Baghdad. Lieutenant Thair Mahmoud of the Emergency Response Unit told journalists there had been one mortar attack and other blasts were heard nearby. He said there were no immediate reports of casualties. Other reports say there were as many as five explosions, either inside the Green Zone or immediately outside.

The firing of five rockets was confirmed by an Islamic site close to the Baathist-inspired guerrillas - islammemo - which referred to at least four rockets with chemical warheads. The site, which tends to publish unreliable biased news reports, celebrates it as the first chemical attack in Iraq."