US sanctions ISIS leaders involved in chemical weapons development

Washington DC: The United States has announced sanctions on two Islamic State (IS) chemical weapons experts, in the first such effort to specifically target the terrorist group`s chemical weapons leadership.

The new sanctions, which would bar access to any property or interests under the US jurisdiction, target Attallah Salman `Abd Kafi al-Jaburi and Marwan Ibrahim Hussayn Tah al-Azawi, two ISIS leaders involved in the development of chemical weapons, according to a State and Treasury Department`s statement on Monday.

Al-Jaburi was a senior ISIS leader, who oversaw some of the terror group`s improvised explosive device factories while also being involved in the development of chemical weapons in Iraq, according to the statement.

A member of the al-Qaeda since 2003, al-Jaburi received chemical weapons training in Syria before returning to Iraq in 2015, the statement said.

It added that al-Azawi is involved in the ISIS` development of chemical weapons for use in the ongoing combat against the Iraqi security forces.

"Today`s actions mark the first designations targetting individuals involved in the ISIS` chemical weapons development. Defeating the ISIS is a top priority of this administration, and today`s action highlights why this group must be defeated," the statement quoted Treasury Department`s Office of Foreign Assets Control`s director, John E. Smith, as saying.

CNN reported that according to military officials, there have been more than 15 chemical weapons attacks since April 14 in or around West Mosul, a stronghold of the ISIS in Iraq.

Military officials have downplayed the effectiveness of ISIS` chemical weapons, saying they have less battlefield effect than conventional explosives.