U.S. Conducts Airstrikes Near Baghdad to Support Iraqi Troops

The United States carried out airstrikes near Baghdad on Monday as part of Obama administration's expanded fight against the Islamic State militants.

"The air strike southwest of Baghdad was the first strike taken as part of our expanded efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions to hit (Islamic State) targets as Iraqi forces go on offense," Central Command said in a statement, reports Reuters.

Earlier, U.S. airstrikes were mainly focused on protecting U.S. personnel, helping Iraqi minorities and safeguarding vital infrastructure in Iraq.  It also provided supplies to the Yazidi religious minority in northern Iraq and helped the Peshmerga to capture the Mosul dam from the Islamic state. When Islamic state militants tried to capture the Haditha dam in Iraq, the US conducted timely airstrikes and thwarted the attempt.

However, the airstrikes on Monday were conducted on request of the Iraqi military when they were attacked by the Islamic State militants, officials said on condition of anonymity, reports the Associated press.

The U.S. also conducted airstrikes in Sinjar, a town in northwestern Iraq. The central command said that the airstrikes destroyed six vehicles belonging to the Islamic State militants.

The U.S. till now has carried out 162 airstrikes in Iraq against the Islamic State militants

Meanwhile, Buck McKeon, California Republican and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee has introduced an amendment to a temporary funding measure which will allow the defense department to supply arms and give training to appropriately vetted Syrian rebels.

Obama wants $500m for the measure, which according to Pentagon could generate over 5,000 trained anti-Islamic State fighters in the first year itself, reports The Guardian.