As the battle for Mosul rages, tens of thousands of civilians flee the bloodshed.
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Children and babies, one just a month old, are being treated for possible exposure to chemical weapons in Mosul.
In total twelve people are receiving treatment at a clinic in Erbil to the east of the Iraqi city. The UN said four are showing signs of associated with ‘exposure to a blister agent’.
Nazim Hamid, a resident of Mosul, recalls the moment his house was hit.
“The mortar hit our house, right inside the living room where we were sitting. There was a very bad smell, it was some kind of gas. My kids were affected, some of them were burnt and some of them had difficulty breathing, and also had shrapnel injuries,” he said.
Though it is not known who was responsible for the attack, the mortars were reportedly fired from west Mosul, still held by ISIL militants. Iraqi forces captured the eastern side in January.
As fierce fighting continues, more and more civilians are rushing to escape the bloodshed.
Barefoot and braving the cold and rain, 30,000 civilians made it out of the city this week, but aid agencies warn hundreds of thousands remain in areas under ISIL’s control.