Iraqi F-16 jets pound IS logistical targets in Syria
Iraqi F-16 warplanes shelled Islamic State (IS) targets south of al-Dashisha area in Syria, the Iraqi military announced on Monday.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Iraqi F-16 warplanes shelled Islamic State (IS) targets south of al-Dashisha area in Syria, the Iraqi military announced on Monday.
The operation was carried out "under the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the [Iraqi] Armed Forces, Dr. Haider Al-Abadi, in coordination and supervision of the Joint Operations Command," the statement said.
It mentioned that jets targeted IS positions and logistical support bases in neighboring Syria.
"These precise airstrikes are based on reliable intelligence and supported by the efforts of the Air Force to lead joint operations."
Over the past two years, Iraqi jets have often carried out cross-border operations against IS positions on Syrian soil.
The latest shellings were during the first week of May and on April 19, as Iraqi F-16 jets targeted the jihadist group near the border of Iraq in coordination with the Syrian government.
Abadi declared final victory over IS in December, but the extremist group still poses a threat to different parts of the country as it carries out ambushes, assassinations, and bombings.
In 2017, Iraqi jets carried out at least one strike on IS targets in Syria, also in coordination with the US-led coalition and with the approval of the Syrian government.
Baghdad has good relations with Iran and Russia, the Syrian Regime’s main backers in the seven-year-old Syrian civil war, while also enjoying strong support from the coalition.
Editing by Nadia Riva