US bombs insurgents in Iraq

The US military today conducted airstrikes on positions of the extremist organization called the Islamic State ISIL.

This is the first time the US has directly intervened in the conflict in Iraq since withdrawing from the country in 2011. US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said the US had carried out two airstrikes against extremists of ISIL, an organization that is plotting to build a Sunni Islamic state stretching from Syria to Baghdad and then expanding to the rest of the world. The first attack took place at 5:45 p.m. yesterday (Vietnam time) when two F/A-18 aircraft dropped two laser-guided bombs on an ISIL mobile artillery unit.

Two US FA 18 bombers.

Four US fighter jets then dropped four bombs on a convoy of seven vehicles belonging to the above force. The airstrike took place after information that ISIL fighters were approaching Irbil, one of Iraq's largest cities and home to the US Consulate General. The aircraft participating in the airstrike were all from the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush, which is currently deployed by the US in the Arabian Gulf.

The US military action came just hours after President Obama authorized US military airstrikes against insurgents to protect US citizens and interests in Iraq, as well as prevent the possibility of ISIL fighters carrying out genocide against minority communities.

Although the US has officially entered the war in Iraq, White House spokesman Josh Earnest still affirmed that the US will not send ground troops to Iraq and the Iraqi government will have to deal with the ISIL threat on its own.

“The United States is prepared to support the establishment of a unity government in Iraq and its efforts to repel ISIL, including deploying military forces where necessary. However, the United States will not deploy additional combat troops to Iraq.”

Hundreds of US military personnel, including many advisers, are currently in Iraq to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces in dealing with ISIL./.

According to VOV