Hundreds of Militants Killed As U.S. and Iraq Conduct Airstrikes

It is impossible to know how many militants were killed in the U.S. airstrikes today; however, the Iraqi military claimed that over 800 militants were killed in a number of operations. Some of them may have involved U.S. forces. Only five people, civilians or security forces, were killed in other violence.

Two people were reported wounded. Several thousand Yazidis were treated for dehydration after walking to Syria, and 60 people were airlifted off Sinjar Mountain.

Politics:

After limited airstrikes took place today in Iraq, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the United States could expand military assistance to Iraq should the country finally create a new "inclusive" government. Additional humanitarian airdrops will likely take place as well. Some Iraqis were critical of the U.S. President for waiting until Christians and Kurds were in danger before providing any help.

As many as 20,000 Yazidis were provided safe passage to Syria before being rerouted back into a safer parts of Iraqi Kurdistan. Many arrived at Zakho in Iraq. The International Rescue Committee said it had provided medical care for about 4,000 dehydrated Yazidis who had walked to Syria. Although the border is not far, the region is parched and inhospitable.

Airlifts off Sinjar Mountain were available to about 60 very ill people.

Separately, the spokesman for the Human Rights Ministry, Kamil Amin, said that the Islamic State is holding 100s of Yazidi women in Mosul.

The United Kingdom has promised to add to the humanitarian effort. They will airdrop more food and water supplies to Sinjar Mountain and other locations.

Turkey increased its humanitarian aid to northern Iraq.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani reiterated his advice that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki should step aside for Iraq’s sake.

Oil workers continue to leave Kurdistan despite airstrikes.

Fighting:

U.S. forces conducted at least two waves of bombings against Islamic State positions near Arbil in the vicinity of Makhmour. Strikes also took place in al-Kwair. Two 500-pound bombs were used against a location housing artillery. An Associated Press reporter saw at least six explosions. It is unclear if all the strikes were by U.S. forces. In confirmed U.S. strikes, there was a mortar position where many militants were killed. Laser guided bombs also destroyed a militant convoy.

Fuad Hussein, who is the Kurdish president chief of staff, reported that 150 Peshmerga members were killed and at least 500 were wounded over the last two months of fighting.

Large numbers of militants were killed or fled some of their northern positions in Mosul. A Kurdish official confirmed the takeover of the Mosul Dam.

The Iraqi military said that 550 militants were killed during airstrikes in Qayara and Shirqat. Another 250 were killed in Sinjar, Amerli, and Jurf al-Sakhar. Fifteen more were killed in al-Sger and another operation in Sinjar. In Tikrit, a number of vehicles were bombed with militants inside them.

Two snipers were killed in Qadisiya.

Five militants were killed near the Baiji Refinery.

Peshmerga killed 13 militants in Jalawla.

In Baghdad, eight militants were killed.

Airstrikes may have alleviated the militant presence in the Kirkuk area.

Mortars killed two civilians in Amerli and wounded a third one.

A roadside bomb in Latifiya killed a commander and an assistant.

A cleric was killed and another was wounded in a drive-by shooting in Basra.

Two unidentified warplanes flew over western Anbar and launched missiles. They possibly came from Syria.

Between Ramadi and Falluja, at the Japanese Bridge, a car bomb left a number of casualties.

Author: Margaret Griffis

Margaret Griffis is a journalist from Miami Beach, Florida and has been covering Iraqi casualties for Antiwar.com since 2006.