Islamic State chemical attacks cause panic in Iraq city

U.S. and Iraqi officials said U.S. special forces captured the head of the Islamic State unit trying to develop chemical weapons in a raid last month in northern Iraq.

The coalition began targeting Islamic State chemical weapons infrastructure with air strikes and special operations raids two months ago, Iraqi intelligence officials and a Western security official in Baghdad told the Associated Press.

Air strikes are targeting laboratories and equipment, and further raids targeting chemical weapons experts are planned, the officials said.

The extremist group is believed to have set up a special unit for chemical weapons research made up of Iraqi scientists who worked on weapons programs under Saddam Hussein.