US continues airstrikes against Islamic State

Washington, Sept 27: The US forces continued airstrikes in Iraq and Syria held by Islamic State (IS) militants, the US Central Command (USCENTCOM) has said.

The forces conducted 10 new strikes. Fighter-bombers and drones were used in the raids unleashed between Thursday and Friday on facilities near Kirkuk and Baghdad and other locations in Syria and Iraq where IS has established its fundamentalist caliphate, USCENTCOM said in a statement on Friday.

In Iraq, coalition forces carried out five attacks in Kirkuk, destroying three multipurpose vehicles, two armoured vehicles and they damaged another armoured vehicle being used by the IS militants.

Another attack destroyed a bunkered bomb shelter and an armoured vehicle in Baghdad.

Troops conducted 10 new strikes

The alliance's warplanes destroyed four armoured vehicles, a highway checkpoint and a command centre near Al Qaim city, 400 km from Baghdad.

In Syria, three attacks took out four oil storage tanks and damaged another one near Deir al-Zur. According to the US Central Command, all aircraft returned safely to base.

As of Friday, the US military has acknowledged over 200 airstrikes against the Sunni radical militants organisation in Iraq. Along with its allies, it also staged over 20 raids against the IS in Syria since the beginning of the week.

At first, US President Barack Obama announced that the attacks on IS would focus only on Iraq, but Sep 10, the scope of the offensive was extended to include strategic IS assets in Syrian territory.

IANS