Iraq: IS attacks sulfur plant, causes deadly toxic cloud

"ISIS blew up the sulfur plant two days ago and that has led to the deaths of two people among the civilians in nearby villages," Qusay Hamid Kadhem told AFP.

The senior officer of the interior ministry's elite rapid response force said "many others were injured as a result of the toxic smoke."

According to several security and health sources in the area, where tens of thousands of Iraqi forces are involved in a massive offensive to wrest Mosul back from IS, the group blew up at least part of the Mishraq sulfur factory Wednesday.

The blast released toxic fumes that were seen and felt by residents in the area and, early Saturday, by forces and reporters around Qayyarah, one of the main staging bases of the anti-IS operation south of Mosul.

Kadhem admitted that the toxic fumes were having an impact on operations: "Of course, this is affecting our planned progress."

According to a Reuters report, US forces at Iraq's Qayyara West airfield near Mosul are now wearing protective masks after winds brought fumes from the nearby burning sulfur plant set ablaze during fighting with IS.

The Qayyara West airfield is the main US hub to support Iraqi-led operations to retake the city of Mosul from IS. There are about 5,000 US troops in Iraq but the US military has not disclosed the number of personnel at the airfield.

"The winds have actually shifted south, so, as a precautionary measure, the troops at Qayyara West have donned their personal protective equipment - continuing their operations at this point in time," an official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The main concern was avoiding potential respiratory ailments resulting from inhaling the fumes. Air samples from Qayyara West were sent to the US Defence Threat Reduction Agency for analysis as to "what, if any concerns, may result," the second official said.

The fire is expected to be put out within 2 to 3 days, according to officials.