The US military carried out an attack with the Iraqi army against the Islamic State jihadist group in western Iraq and killed 15 of its fighters, the US military command announced late last night.
"That group of jihadists was armed with numerous weapons, grenades and belts with explosives. There are no indications that there were any civilian casualties," the statement added.
The operation, carried out Thursday morning but announced Friday evening, "targeted jihadist leaders in order to disrupt and undermine the group's ability to prepare, organize and carry out attacks on civilians in Iraq," the US military said.
It is added that the Islamic State "remains a threat to the region, American allies, and the American national territory."
The US has about 2.500 troops in Iraq and nearly 900 in Syria, as part of the international coalition created to fight the Islamic State.
Although Iraqi authorities declared victory over the Islamic State in late 2017, jihadist cells continue to sporadically attack soldiers and police, especially in rural and remote areas outside major cities.
On August 15, Iraq announced the postponement of the end of the mission of the international anti-jihadist coalition led by Washington on its territory, justifying the delay with the "latest developments" in the explosive regional context.
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