RED LINE

Monitor: Mustard Gas Used in Syria Clash

Unknown where the chemical weapon came from.

According to an international watchdog and other sources, mustard gas was used during clashes between ISIS militants and another rebel group in Syria, Reuters reported Thursday. A confidential Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons report found that “with the utmost confidence that at least two people were exposed to sulfur mustard” in the Syrian town of Marea, north of Aleppo, on Aug. 21. “It is very likely that the effects of sulfur mustard resulted in the death of a baby,” the report said. The revelation confirms the use of the poisonous gas in Syria for the first time since the country agreed to destroy its chemical-weapons stockpile 18 months ago. The report did not mention ISIS, but diplomatic sources told Reuters the toxin had been used in fighting at that time. It’s unclear if the chemical weapon was manufactured by fighters or if a stockpile was seized.