Overview

The Halabja poison gas attack began on the evening of March 16, 1988 during the Iran-Iraq War. Chemical weapons were used by the Iraqi government forces on a number of civilians in the Iraqi Kurdish town of Halabja (population 80,000). The attack involved multiple chemical agents, including Mustard Gas and the nerve agents Sarin, Tabun, and VX. Some sources have also pointed to the blood agent [hydrogen cyanide].

Estimates of casualties range from several hundred to 5,000 people. Halabja is located about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Baghdad and 8-10 miles from the Iranian border.