Rights group warns US-led force on white phosphorus use

The Human Rights Watch organisation on Wednesday urged the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq to protect civilians from the effects of white phosphorus.The statement comes after several instances in which the US-led coalition has deployed the munition in the fight against IS in Iraq's Mosul and Syria's Raqa city."No matter how white phosphorus is used, it poses a high risk of horrific and long-lasting harm in crowded cities," said HRW arms director Steve Goose.