IS suspected of using chemical weapons

The United States is investigating whether the Islamic State used chemical weapons, the White House said on Thursday, following allegations that IS militants deployed chemical weapons against Kurdish forces in northern Iraq.

Alistair Baskey, a spokesman for the White House's National Security Council, said the US is taking the allegations "very seriously" and seeking more information about what happened. He noted that IS had been accused of using such weapons before.

"We continue to monitor these reports closely, and would further stress that any use of chemicals or biological material as a weapon is completely inconsistent with international standards and norms regarding such capabilities," Baskey said in a statement.