US military strikes militant targets in Iraq

Washington, Aug 9: The US military Friday conducted two additional air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) targets in Iraq.

The new round of attacks followed the dropping of two 500-pound laser-guided bombs on a mobile artillery piece near Erbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region, early Friday, Xinhua reported.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the Islamic State was using the artillery to shell Kurdish forces defending Erbil, adding that the decision to strike was made by army general Lloyd Austin III, commander of the US central command.

US President Barack Obama, who authorised the first US airstrikes on Iraq since he withdrew all troops in 2011, discussed the Iraq crisis with Jordanian King Abdullah II during a phone call Friday afternoon.

IANS