The Pentagon has confirmed that Iraq’s military launched air strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants for the first time using F-16 fighter jets purchased from the United States.
Pentagon spokesman Peter cook praised Iraq for what he described as the successful use of “cutting edge aircraft” in the campaign against the militant group.
He did not provide details about the air strikes.
But Iraqi air force General Anwar Hama Amin told AFP on September 6 that 15 air strikes had been carried out by Iraqi warplanes during the previous four days.
Amin said “smart weapons” used against IS targets in Salaheddin and Kirkuk provinces to the north of Baghdad had achieved “important results,” and predicted the jets will have “an impact on the conduct of operations in the future.”
Iraq received four F-16 fighter jets from the United States in July out of a total of 36 that Washington has agreed to sell to Baghdad.
