Iraq praises US air strikes

ERBIL, Iraq (AA) – Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has welcomed United States air strikes against Islamic State forces in northern Iraq. Speaking in Erbil on Friday, he said: "The main purpose of these operations is for the hundreds of thousands displaced people to return to their homes and live in peace." The U.S. launched two waves of aerial attacks on Friday against IS militants.
Zebari said the U.S. air support would be limited and that the U.S. is the first country to support Iraqi forces militarily against IS forces. The U.S. Air Force carried out airdrops of food and water to stranded civilians before President Barack Obama authorized the strikes.
Since Saturday, intensified fighting has taken place between the Sunni Islamist fighters and Kurdish Peshmerga forces.