The US has launched five air attacks on Islamic State fighters
threatening the Haditha dam, as Washington widened its air
campaign against the group.
The attacks on Sunday destroyed Islamic State vehicles, two
of which were carrying anti-aircraft artillery, a fighting
position and a command post, the US central command
said.
“At the request of the Iraqi government and in keeping with
our mission to protect US personnel and facilities, US
military planes have begun striking ISIL terrorists near the
Haditha dam,” said a US official.
Al Jazeera’s Jane Arraf, reporting from Baghdad, said the
bombardment targeted IS fighters between Haditha and al-
Qaim, close to the Syrian border.
“That area is key to defeating or at least containing IS who
use the route to transport weapons,” she said.
Iraqi helicopters were also taking part in the offensive, the
Iraqi defence ministry said.
Iraqi state television said government troops had taken
control of the northern entrance of the town of Berwana,
about 15km south of Haditha and that 15 IS fighters were
killed.
Last month, IS fighters tried to capture the Haditha dam,
which has six power generators alongside the country’s
second-largest reservoir. Iraqi forces backed up by local
Sunni tribes were able to hold them off.
The IS group was able to take control of the Mosul dam in
northern Iraq last month, but US air strikes helped Kurdish
and Iraqi forces retake it.
An interior ministry spokesman told Al Jazeera that US
support was crucial to beating the Islamic State group.
“If we want a remedy for this cancer… help from the
American side will tackle it in a shorter time – especially
when we are talking about air power,” he said.
In a separate development, Kurdish peshmerga fighters
supported by the Iraqi air force have retaken Gazzer
mountain, close to Kalak on the road to Mosul, sources told
Al Jazeera.
Peshmerga forces are advancing from the east and west on
Mosul, the stronghold of the Islamic State group in Iraq.
The attacks came as the Arab League promised to take all
necessary measures to combat the Islamic State group.
“What is needed is a clear decision for a comprehensive
confrontation, militarily and politically,” Arab League chief
Nabil el-Araby said on Sunday.
The Arab League also endorsed a UN Security Council
resolution passed last month calling on member states to
“act to suppress the flow of foreign fighters, financing and
other support to Islamist extremist groups in Iraq and Syria”.
The US president, Barack Obama, last week announced a
Nato-led “core coalition” to confront the group in Iraq and
Syria, and called on Arab states to consider military action.
threatening the Haditha dam, as Washington widened its air
campaign against the group.
The attacks on Sunday destroyed Islamic State vehicles, two
of which were carrying anti-aircraft artillery, a fighting
position and a command post, the US central command
said.
“At the request of the Iraqi government and in keeping with
our mission to protect US personnel and facilities, US
military planes have begun striking ISIL terrorists near the
Haditha dam,” said a US official.
Al Jazeera’s Jane Arraf, reporting from Baghdad, said the
bombardment targeted IS fighters between Haditha and al-
Qaim, close to the Syrian border.
“That area is key to defeating or at least containing IS who
use the route to transport weapons,” she said.
Iraqi helicopters were also taking part in the offensive, the
Iraqi defence ministry said.
Iraqi state television said government troops had taken
control of the northern entrance of the town of Berwana,
about 15km south of Haditha and that 15 IS fighters were
killed.
Last month, IS fighters tried to capture the Haditha dam,
which has six power generators alongside the country’s
second-largest reservoir. Iraqi forces backed up by local
Sunni tribes were able to hold them off.
The IS group was able to take control of the Mosul dam in
northern Iraq last month, but US air strikes helped Kurdish
and Iraqi forces retake it.
An interior ministry spokesman told Al Jazeera that US
support was crucial to beating the Islamic State group.
“If we want a remedy for this cancer… help from the
American side will tackle it in a shorter time – especially
when we are talking about air power,” he said.
In a separate development, Kurdish peshmerga fighters
supported by the Iraqi air force have retaken Gazzer
mountain, close to Kalak on the road to Mosul, sources told
Al Jazeera.
Peshmerga forces are advancing from the east and west on
Mosul, the stronghold of the Islamic State group in Iraq.
The attacks came as the Arab League promised to take all
necessary measures to combat the Islamic State group.
“What is needed is a clear decision for a comprehensive
confrontation, militarily and politically,” Arab League chief
Nabil el-Araby said on Sunday.
The Arab League also endorsed a UN Security Council
resolution passed last month calling on member states to
“act to suppress the flow of foreign fighters, financing and
other support to Islamist extremist groups in Iraq and Syria”.
The US president, Barack Obama, last week announced a
Nato-led “core coalition” to confront the group in Iraq and
Syria, and called on Arab states to consider military action.
No comments:
Post a Comment