Some civilians fleeing Mosul exposed to chlorine gas

Thousands of civilians fled Mosul overnight as Iraqi forces advanced north of a sprawling military base near the city's airport on Friday, with some exposed to chlorine gas.

Iraq's special forces pushed into the Wadi Hajar district in western Mosul and retook the area from the Islamic State group Friday, according to Brig.-Gen. Yahya Rasool, spokesperson of the Joint Military Operations.

Special forces Brig.-Gen. Haider al-Obeidi said clearing operations were ongoing in the area and his forces were close to linking up with the militarized federal police forcespushing up along the western bank of the Tigris River.

• Iraq forces say they've recaptured Mosul's airport

Iraqi forces, including special operations forces and federal police units, launched an attack on the western part of Mosul nearly two weeks ago to dislodge ISIS. Since the offensive began, more than 28,000 people have been displaced by the fighting, according to the United Nations.

Nineveh province's police chief, Brig.-Gen. Wathaq al-Hamdani, said ISIS targeted the Al Jazairdistrict in western Mosul with "Katyusha launchers with missiles carrying chlorine gas" in at least two incidents over the past few days. He added that five civilians had been taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for asphyxiation.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement Friday that seven patients likely exposed to a toxic chemical agent were being treated at Rozhawa hospital, close to Mosul, where fighting continues.

"During the past two days, the hospital has admitted five children and two women showing clinical symptoms consistent with an exposure to a blistering chemical agent," said the ICRC'sregional director for the Middle East, Robert Mardini.

"We strongly condemn any use of chemical weapons, by any party, anywhere."

Supplies running out

Maj. Saif Ali, who is stationed in Mamun, said huge crowds of civilians began pouring into the area from neighbouring districts just after midnight. Ali said civilians in western Mosul are becoming increasingly desperate as food and water supplies begin to run out.

We gave the children Valium so they wouldn't cry and (the ISIS fighters) wouldn't catch us.Nahla Ahmed

"In total 7,000 people fled through this area last night," he said. "We were up all night trying to control the crowds."

Nahla Ahmed, 50, fled Mosul late Thursday night, walking more than five kilometres from her home in the Shuhada neighbourhood.

"All the families were hiding behind a wall," she said, explaining how they escaped an ISIS-held part of the city. "We gave the children Valium so they wouldn't cry and (the ISIS fighters) wouldn't catch us."

Ahmed, like most of the civilians who have escaped Mosul in the past week, fled through Mamun neighbourhood. The district is partially controlled by Iraq's special forces.

4,000 flee each day

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday "the latest figures we have of people recorded leaving western Mosul is 28,400 and that's since operations in west Mosul started on Feb. 19. However we're also tracking down reports thousands more people are on the move."

He said that on average about 4,000 people a day have been fleeing since the beginning of the operation.

"We think about 750,000 civilians are still trapped inside western Mosul, either sheltering from the fighting or waiting to flee," Dujarric said. "We're deeply concerned with their well-being and safety and their access to vital resources."

By late morning nearly all the families had been moved out of Mamun. The neighbourhood was littered with discarded clothing and blankets piled up in empty lots and on street corners.

Iraqi forces deployed east of Mamun advanced into Wadi Hajar, a neighbourhood north of the Ghazlani military base.

The U.S.-led coalition dropped more than 15 munitions in Mosul on Friday, Ali said, saying they targeted car bombs, sniper positions and small ISIS mortar units.