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US begins air strikes against Isis targets in Iraq, Pentagon says US begins air strikes against Isis targets in Iraq, Pentagon says
(35 minutes later)
The US military has begun air strikes against Islamic militant targets in Iraq, the Pentagon announced on Friday. American warplanes began bombing Islamic militant targets outside the Kurdish city of Irbil on Friday, in the first offensive action by the US in Iraq since it withdrew ground troops in 2011.
Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, said aircraft struck artillery being used against Kurdish peshmerga forces defending the Kurdish stronghold of Irbil against fighters with the Islamic State, known as Isis or Isil. Following authority granted by Barack Obama on Thursday, the Pentagon said two FA-18 jets dropped 500-pound laser-guided bombs on fighters with the Islamic State, also known as Isis or Isil.
The US claimed the militants were using artillery to shell peshmerga forces defending Irbil and threatening US personnel in the city.
“As the president made clear, the United States military will continue to take direct action against Isil when they threaten our personnel and facilities,” said Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby.
US military aircraft conduct strike on ISIL artillery. Artillery was used against Kurdish forces defending Erbil, near US personnel.US military aircraft conduct strike on ISIL artillery. Artillery was used against Kurdish forces defending Erbil, near US personnel.
Two FA-18 jets, launched from the USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier in the Gulf, dropped 500lb bombs on what the Pentagon described as a “mobile artillery piece”. Obama’s orders to his military commanders were widely drafted and included permission to take action against Isis forces threatening either the thousands of Yazidi refugees trapped on Mount Sinjar, or the cities of Irbil and Baghdad, where US “military advisers” are based.
Isis was using the artillery to shell Kurdish forces defending Irbil, where US forces are based, the US said. The US portrayed its initial action on Friday as a necessary step to protect its joint operation centre in Irbil, which is being used to co-ordinate defences with Peshmerga fighters. “The fact of the matter is we have people in Irbil and if Irbil is allow to fall, they will be at risk,” said national security adviser Ben Rhodes on Friday.
Barack Obama authorised targeted air strikes against Islamic militants on Thursday.“As the president made clear, the United States military will continue to take direct action against Isil when they threaten our personnel and facilities,” Kirby said in a statement. But US jets have been operating over Kurdish areas for some time and the Pentagon believes the Islamic militants advancing toward Irbil pose a significant threat to the city.
Separate humanitarian air drops have already began to bring relief to thousands of minority Iraqis trapped on a mountain in the north-west of Iraq. Since Obama spoke from the White House on Thursday night, there has been relatively little criticism of his return to Iraqi military interventions in Congress. However there is thought to be deep unease within the White House about the risk of being sucked back into a prolonged campaign against Isis.
Describing the threats against stranded Yazidi refugees as holding the potential for “genocide”, Obama said he had authorised limited air strikes to help Iraqi forces, to assist in the fight to break the siege and protect the civilians trapped there. White House officials, briefing reporters on Thursday night, made clear that the latest intervention was triggered by the rapid Isis advance on Irbil, although Obama also stressed the need for the US to take action to prevent possible genocide of the Yazidi population.
More details soon ... Separate humanitarian air drops have already began to bring relief to the thousands of trapped Yazidis. Obama described the threats against the stranded refugees as holding the potential for “genocide”.
The two FA-18 Hornets that carried out Friday’s operation were launched from the USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier in the Gulf. The operation began at 1.45pm local time (6.45am ET, 11.45am BST).
Following Obama’s authorisation to his military commanders, they are able to act independently of the White House on tactical matters. “The decision to strike was made by the US central command commander under authorisation granted him by the commander-in-chief,” said Kirby.
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