Iraq says dozens of IS militants killed in air strike in Syria
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 23 June 2018 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraq says dozens of IS militants killed in air strike in Syria, 23 June 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5bc04f926.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 23, 2018 19:32 GMT
Iraq's military has said it has killed 45 Islamic State (IS) militants, including senior leaders, in an air strike in eastern Syria.
In a statement, the military said Iraqi F-16 fighter jets carried out a "successful strike targeting a meeting of [IS] leaders" on June 22 in the town of Hajin, in the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor, near the border with Iraq.
The military said among those killed in the air strike were the group's "deputy war minister," one of its media officials, leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's personal courier, and its chief of police.
Hajin, about 50 kilometers from Iraq's border, is the largest urban center still under IS control in Syria.
Last month, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that monitors the Syrian war said at least 65 senior IS militants live in Hajin.
Iraq's air force has carried out several strikes on IS-held territory in Syria since April.
IS militants controlled large swaths of Syria and Iraq in 2014, but are now holed up in several pockets along the Syria-Iraq border.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
