Australian fighters target Islamic militants in Iraq
Australian officials say two bombs were dropped by Australian fighter jets in an assault against Islamic State militants in Iraq.
Sydney
Australian fighter jets have made their first strike against Islamic State militants in聽, the聽聽said on Thursday, where a U.S.-led coalition is engaged in a fierce bombing campaign to weaken the group.
Last week, Prime Minister聽聽said Australian special forces troops would be deployed to聽聽and that its aircraft would also join the air strikes.
"Overnight the聽聽operating in the聽聽attacked its first target in聽," the Australian Defense Force said in a statement.
"Two bombs were dropped from an F/A-18F Super Hornet on to an ISIL facility. All aircraft exited the target area safely and returned to base," it said, using an alternate name for the group.
罢丑别听聽has been bombing Islamic State and other groups in聽聽for almost two weeks with the help of Arab allies, and hitting targets in neighboring聽聽since August.
聽began flying combat operations in聽聽on Sunday, but its jets pulled out of their first potential strike against Islamic State militants over fears of killing civilians, the military said earlier this week.聽