BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's air strikes on Islamic State positions in Syria on Thursday were carried out in coordination with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, an Iraqi military spokesman told Reuters.

The Iraqi air force used F16 jets to cross into Syria and carry out the strikes, Brigadier General Yahya Rasool said.

 

 (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; editing by Raya Jalabi) </s> BAGHDAD: Iraqi warplanes have struck Islamic State targets inside Syria in retaliation for recent bomb attacks in Baghdad by the group, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Friday.

It appeared to be the first time Iraqi jets have conducted such raids across the border. A Syrian source said the strikes had been coordinated with Damascus.

Islamic State, which is now on the defensive after losing control of eastern Mosul in Iraq to a U.S.-backed Iraqi military offensive, has claimed responsibility for several car bombs in Baghdad in the capital in the past few weeks.

"We are determined to chase terrorism that tries to kill our sons and citizens, wherever it is found, so we gave orders to the air force command to strike Islamic State positions in (the Iraqi town of) Hosaiba and Albu Kamal inside Syrian territory as they were responsible for recent bombings in Baghdad," Abadi said in a statement.

"The heroes of the sky executed the operation and responded to the terrorists with amazing success."

A military statement said the strikes had taken place on Friday morning using F16 fighter jets and had destroyed Islamic State headquarters in Albu Kamal.

"The strikes targeted Islamic State's headquarters used for making car bombs in Albu Kamal... after Iraqi intelligence received tips from their sources inside Syria," a senior security official told Reuters.

A source close to Syria's foreign ministry said the operation had been carried out in "complete coordination" with the Damascus government.

The United States said it had also helped the Iraqis by providing intelligence.

"Yes we were aware, yes we supported it as well with information," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis told reporters. "It is a good strike, it is a valid strike, it was a strike against ISIS targets," he said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

The jihadist group has separately come under attack in Syria by warplanes from Russia, Turkey and a U.S.-led coalition, all of which are supporting different offensives against it in the country. </s> The Iraqi prime minister said he had directed the military to conduct airstrikes against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) targets in Syrian territory. The strikes come in response to recent bombings in Baghdad, he added.

"We are determined to chase terrorism that tries to kill our sons and citizens wherever it is found, so we gave orders to the air force command to strike Islamic State positions in Hosaiba and Albu Kamal inside Syrian territory as they were responsible for recent bombings in Baghdad," Haider al-Abbadi said in a statement.

"The heroes of the sky executed the operation and responded to the terrorists with amazing success."

IS claimed responsibility for a deadly attack that took place on February 16 in southern Baghdad, when a car bomb blast ripped through the area, killing at least 45 and injuring dozens.

Albu Kamal was targeted by the US-led coalition earlier this week. On Thursday, three strikes engaged an IS unit and also destroyed four oil refinement stills and a vehicle.

Later in the day, an Iraqi military commander has confirmed the airstrikes "were successful," adding that they involved F-16 fighter jets, AP reported.

A seniour security official told Reuters "the strikes targeted Islamic State's headquarters used for making car bombs in Albu Kamal... after Iraqi intelligence received tips from their sources inside Syria."

READ MORE: Suicide blast kills at least 60 near Al-Bab, Syria – reports

Meanwhile, the Iraqi airstrikes were conducted "in complete coordination" with the Syrian government, a source close to Syria's foreign ministry told the news agency. The source chose not to elaborate on the issue.

Later, another foreign ministry source confirmed coordination of the airstrikes to the Syrian government's newspaper Al Watan.

Later in the day, Lebanese broadcaster Al-Mayadeen reported that the Iraqi airstrikes demonstrated “high-level cooperation between two countries' intelligence agencies.” The report said the Friday air raids were ordered after a convoy carrying IS commanders was spotted in the area, adding that coordinated strikes are very likely to happen in the future.

Bassam Abu Abdallah, professor of political studies in Damascus University, told RT that closer coordination between Iraq and Syria in the fight against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) would be essential for defeating the jihadist group in the long run.

“If we do not have this kind of coordination, I think, that after Mosul the ISIS fighters will come to Syria and we see that the Iraqi forces try to close the borders between Syria and Iraq.”

Abdallah added that similarly motivated cooperation between the United States and Russia is needed to defeat IS, but so far it was “not clear what is the plan in the minds of the Trump administration.” </s> The U.S., France, the UK, Israel, Turkey, Russia, and other countries that are participating in the U.S.-led air campaign against ISIS in eastern Syria are all bombing the war-torn country. Now, after a week of aerial chaos over Syria that started with a large coordinated cruise missile strike on chemical weapons-related targets, followed by repeated attacks by the Isreali Air Force, and news that Iran is now deploying air defense assets to the country, as well as the possibility that ISIS may be on the rise again there, Iraq has waded into the air combat fray.

The office of Iraq's prime minister issued the following curt statement to mark the country's opening up of air operations in Syria:

"On the orders of the Commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Dr. Haider Abadi, our heroic Air Force on Thursday carried out deadly airstrikes against the sites of the terrorist ISIL gangs in Syria on the Iraqi border."

The post-Saddam Iraqi Air Force has never, as far as we know, ventured into another country's airspace and dropped weapons on a target operationally—that is until now. There is very limited information at this time on exactly what targets were hit and with what aircraft. Iraq has a number of fixed-wing combat aircraft including F-16IQs, T-50s, Su-25s, and armed Cessna Caravans, as well an array of helicopter gunships that could have prosecuted targets in Syria. But what's most pressing at this time is learning how the strikes were deconflicted with U.S.-led coalition forces, or if they were at all.

We will update this post as more information comes available.

The New York Times reports that the strikes were coordinated with the Assad government and were carried out using F-16s. If indeed the Iraqi government, which has close ties to Iran—and Iran backs Assad directly—did not work with the U.S. on these sorties it could drastically complicate the airspace over eastern Syria and it could lead to a major fracture in U.S.-Iraq military and diplomatic relations.

Last week prime minister al-Abadi said Iraq would defend itself from militant threats across their own borders. The Iraqi government declared victory over ISIS in December of 2017.

We have heard that five targets were struck during the raid. </s> U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported yesterday.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted 11 strikes in 16 engagements in Syria:
• Near Abu Kamal, five strikes destroyed six oil wellheads, five front-end loaders, a bulldozer and an oil tanker.
• Near Ayn Isa, three strikes damaged three supply routes.
• Near Raqqa, three strikes destroyed 20 oil barrels, three tunnels, an oil inlet manifold and an oil storage tank.

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted five strikes in 11 engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
• Huwayjah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position and a supply cache.
• Near Kirkuk, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position, a supply cache and an observation post.
• Near Kisik, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and damaged a tunnel.
• Near Rutbah, two strikes destroyed three vehicles and a vehicle bomb.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group’s ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. </s> Baku. 23 September. REPORT.AZ/ United States and its partners are implementing the first air strikes at the "Islamic state" in Syria. Report informs citing Reuters, this was officially claimed by Pentagon.

"I can confirm that U.S. military and partner nation forces are undertaking military action against ISIL terrorists in Syria using a mix of fighter, bomber and Tomahawk land attack missiles,” Pentagon Spokesman, Rear Admiral John Kirby stated. “Given that these operations are ongoing, we are not in a position to provide additional details at this time,” he added.

President Barack Obama unveiled a new strategy against the ISIS on September 11. He said that he would not deploy American troops in Iraq, but intensify air strikes. Furthermore, Obama issued that Washington wanted to create and lead a broad coalition to fight against militants in Syria and Iraq.

Terroristic religious group "Islamic State" grew in strength during operations in Syria, where the ISIL fought against government forces. Several months ago, the IS has launched a massive attack on the northern and north-western provinces of Iraq and occupied a vast territory, where they announced the establishment of the so-called Islamic Caliphate. </s> SOUTHWEST ASIA, Feb. 4, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 31 strikes in 45 engagements in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, seven strikes destroyed 14 oil wellheads and two oil refinement stills.

-- Near Bab, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units; destroyed two tactical vehicles, two heavy machine guns and two fighting positions; and damaged a command and control node.

-- Near Raqqa, 20 strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units; destroyed 11 oil tanker trucks, six oil barrels, three oil refinement stills, two fighting positions, two tunnels, two vehicles, an ISIL headquarters, an oil storage tank and a command and control node; and damaged 16 supply routes.

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted seven strikes in 18 engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

-- Near Mosul, five strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units; destroyed eight watercraft, three vehicle bombs, two barges, a vehicle and an artillery system; damaged three supply routes; and suppressed a mortar team.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. </s> SOUTHWEST ASIA, Jan. 29, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 15 strikes consisting of 24 engagements in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed an oil truck and two oil wellheads.

-- Near Bab, a strike destroyed an ISIL headquarters building and a bunker.

-- Near Raqqah, Twelve strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed seven bridges, an ISIL headquarters building and a fighting position; damaged a supply route.

Attack and fighter aircraft conducted two strikes consisting of five engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Mosul, two strikes destroyed an ISIL anti-air artillery system, a fighting position and two barges; suppressed two mortar teams; damaged three supply routes.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. </s> BAGHDAD, April 19 (Reuters) - Iraq on Thursday carried out air strikes on Islamic State positions in Syria a week after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said his country would defend itself from militant threats across the border.

Iraqi F-16 warplanes crossed into Syria to carry out the strikes after coordination with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, an Iraqi military spokesman said.

"Carrying out air strikes on Daesh gangs in Syrian territories is because of the dangers posed by said gangs to Iraqi territories and is proof of the improved capabilities of our armed forces," the Iraqi military said in a statement.

Earlier this month, Abadi had said Iraq would "take all necessary measures if they threaten the security of Iraq", referring to the jihadist militants who just three years ago overran a third of Iraq.

The prime minister declared final victory over the ultra hardline group in December but it still poses a threat from pockets along the border with Syria and has continued to carry out ambushes, assassinations and bombings across Iraq.

Iraq currently has good relations with Iran and Russia, Assad's main backers in the seven-year Syrian civil war, while also enjoying strong support from the U.S.-led coalition. (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; additional reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; editing by Raya Jalabi/Mark Heinrich)
Iraq conducts a series of air strikes against an ISIL target in Syria.