Continued airstrikes in Iraq

American military planes continued airstrikes on strongholds of Islamic extremists in the north of Iraq, near the Mosul Dam, the Central Command announced.

"US military forces continued to attack ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) terrorists in support of Iraqi security forces operations, using bombers and reconnaissance aircraft to conduct six airstrikes near the Mosul Dam," the statement said. agency AFP.

Airstrikes have been carried out continuously for the past 24 hours, an unnamed defense ministry official confirmed, as US President Barack Obama called for decisive international action against the "cancer of extreme jihadists in Iraq and Syria".

The US military has conducted 8 airstrikes in Iraq since August 90, 57 of which were in support of Iraqi government forces near the Mosul Dam.

The airstrikes were authorized by the US president as Islamic extremists seized large swaths of territory north and west of Baghdad.

The Netherlands sends helmets to the Kurds

The Netherlands will send 1.000 protective vests and the same number of helmets to Iraqi Kurds to help them fight Islamic State jihadists.

"It has been decided to send 1.000 combat helmets and 1.000 body armor to the Kurdish regional authorities in a short period of time," Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans and Defense Minister Janine Hennis-Plachert said in a letter to parliament.

The Dutch ministers said that the protective vests and helmets will be delivered only when the government guarantees in Baghdad that the road to Arbil, the capital of the Kurdish region, is open.

At a meeting last Sunday, EU foreign ministers agreed to support the arming of Iraqi Kurds to help them fight the Islamists who have conquered large parts of Iraq since June.

Germany also decided to send next week the first shipment of military non-lethal equipment such as vehicles, protective vests, helmets, explosive detectors and night vision equipment, in addition to humanitarian aid to northern Iraq.