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.
Australian officials say two bombs were dropped by Australian fighter jets in an assault against Islamic State militants in Iraq.
Australian fighter jets have made their first strike against Islamic State militants in聽Iraq, the聽Australian Defense Force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Tony Abbott聽said Australian special forces troops would be deployed to聽Iraq聽and that its aircraft would also join the air strikes.
"Overnight the聽Australian Air Task Group聽operating in the聽Middle East聽attacked its first target in聽Iraq," 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.
The聽United States聽has been bombing Islamic State and other groups in聽Syria聽for almost two weeks with the help of Arab allies, and hitting targets in neighboring聽Iraq聽since August.
Australia聽began flying combat operations in聽Iraq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