At least 36 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in airstrikes by the Iraqi air force targeting IS positions inside neighbouring Syria, the Iraqi military said on Sunday.
Acting on intelligence reports, the Iraqi F-16 fighter jets pounded the terrorist IS positions, including a meeting site for some IS leaders, leaving 36 terrorists dead, Xinhua news agency said quoting a statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC).
JOC spokesman Yahya Abdul-Rasoul told Xinhua that the attacks were carried out on Thursday, and that intelligence reports confirmed that 36 IS militants were killed and five IS leaders at the meeting site were among the killed and a sixth was wounded.
The airstrikes were reportedly carried out on the orders of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, aimed at protecting the Iraqi forces near the border with Syria in western Iraq.