US-Led Coalition Launches 18 Airstrikes Against ISIL in Iraq

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US-led coalition against the Islamic State has carried out 18 airstrikes in Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force — Operation Inherent Resolve said in a press release on Friday.

“Bomber, fighter, attack, ground attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 18 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government,” the release said.

The airstrikes on Thursday hit targets near six Iraqi towns, including Ramadi, Sinjar, Fallujah, Kisik, Sultan Abdallah, and Tal Afar, and destroyed an ISIL rocket rail, multiple ISIL fighting positions, command and control nodes, boats, and buildings, according to the release.

The Combined Joint Task Force reported no coalition airstrikes in Syria on Thursday.

Russia has continued its air campaign against the ISIL in Syria, launched at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad on September 30. The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that its attack aircraft carried out sorties against 449 targets in eight Syrian provinces from November 23 to November 26.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the Defense Ministry’s request to deploy the S-400 systems at the Hmeimim airbase in Syria to protect anti-terror operations by Russia’s Aerospace Forces in the country. The decision was made one day after Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber.