U.S., Allies Conduct 16 Air Strikes in Iraq, Six in Syria

WASHINGTON
REUTERS/HAMAD I MOHAMMED

U.S. and coalition forces targeted the Islamic State on Friday with 16 air strikes in Iraq and six in Syria, the U.S. military said in a statement on Saturday.

In Iraq, one strike hit a checkpoint for the Islamic State and also destroyed a storage container near Al Qaim, according to the statement.

Striking a checkpoint is intended "to reduce their ability to restrict the movement of, and extort from, the population in Daesh-held areas," said Colonel Wayne Marotto, chief of public affairs for the Combined Joint Task Force, in the statement, referring to the militant group as "Daesh."

The brunt of the force, though, was near Mosul, where six strikes hit a tactical unit, staging area and tank, while destroying a heavy machine gun and Islamic State building. There were also strikes near Baiji, Falluja, Makhmur, Ramadi, Sinjar and Tal Afar.

In Syria, coalition forces struck targets near Al Haskah, Ar Raqqah and Tal Abyad.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Toby Chopra)