US attacks ISIL chemical plant and headquarters

CNN:

The US has bombarded an ISIS chemical weapons plant that was housed in a converted Iraqi pharmaceutical factory, a top Air Force commander said Tuesday.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, the commander of the US Air Force's Central Command, told reporters that 12 aircraft in all were used to hit the facility, which also served as an ISIS headquarters, at 50 different points.

"We don't know for sure at this point" what chemicals were involved, Harrigian said at a Pentagon briefing.

The strike follows a United Nations-backed report issued last month that found that both the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and ISIS have used chemical weapons in the five-year-long war that has ripped the country apart.

The year-long investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons found in August that Syria's government -- in particular its air force -- had used chlorine gas at least twice since 2013. It also pointed the finger at ISIS for a mustard gas attack.

At the time, National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the US-led anti-ISIS coalition had placed "a high priority on targeting" ISIS chemical weapons capabilities. "We will continue to remove leaders from the battlefield with knowledge of these weapons and will target any related materials and attempts to manufacture such chemicals going forward," Price said last month.

Harrigian said the attack on the ISIS chemical facility took place Monday in the vicinity of Mosul. The aircraft involved included F-15s, A-10s, F-18s, F-16s and a B-52, he said.
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This is probably part the preparation of the battle space for the coming attack on Mosul.  With the number of aircraft involved, it appears that the military intended that no weapons would survive the attack to be used against coalition forces.

As ISIL becomes more desperate, it is more likely to use WMD against attacking forces.