WASHINGTON, United States: The US military has launched an airstrike on artillery used by the militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) in northern Iraq.
In a statement, the Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said that the attack took place to help defend Kurdish forces near Erbil, Iraq.
US military aircraft conduct strike on ISIL artillery. Artillery was used against Kurdish forces defending Erbil, near US personnel.
— Rear Adm. John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) August 8, 2014
The media reports said that two F/A-18 aircraft dropped 500-pound laser-guided bombs on a mobile artillery piece near Erbil, where US personnel are located.
John Kirby said that the decision to strike was made by the US Central Command commander under authorization granted him by the commander in chief.
The airstrike came a day after US President Barack Obama authorized airstrikes against the Islamic militants to prevent the slaughter of religious minorities and to protect US interests in the region.
