(SYDNEY MORNING HERALD) — A US defence official said American warplanes carried out one air strike on the Islamic State near Baghdad and another near Mount Sinjar, in the north of Iraq, in the past 24 hours. It's the first time the US has targeted the militants close to the Iraqi capital.
"The airstrike southwest of Baghdad was the first strike taken as part of our expanded efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions to hit ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on offense," the US Central Command said in a statement, referring to Islamic State by an alternate name.
The strike against the fighters, who were attacking Iraqi security forces, were in a different part of Iraq than those struck since President Barack Obama last month called for attacks to protect US personnel and facilities, support humanitarian efforts and bolster Iraqi security forces.