Iraq says it has carried out “deadly air strikes” against fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group, situated in pockets inside neighbouring Syria.
The announcement comes days after Haider al-Abadi, Iraq’s prime minister, said his country would take action against ISIL if the fighters threatened Iraq’s security.
Iraqi F-16 fighter jets crossed into Syria on Thursday in coordination with the Syrian army, al-Abadi’s office said in a statement.
“Based on orders from the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Haider al-Abadi, our heroic air force carried out deadly air strikes against ISIL sites in Syria on Thursday near the border with Iraq,” it said.
According to the statement, the attacks countered dangers posed by ISIL and reflected the Iraqi armed forces’ “military capabilities in fighting terror”.
According to an Iraqi military spokesperson, the operation was fully coordinated with the Syrian army.
