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IS leaders killed by US air strikes, Pentagon chief says Mount Sinjar: Islamic State siege broken, say Kurds
(35 minutes later)
US air strikes have killed several high-ranking military leaders of Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, the Pentagon's top officer says. Kurdish forces in northern Iraq are claiming their biggest victory yet against Islamic State (IS) militants.
Gen Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the strikes aimed to hamper the Islamist group's ability to conduct attacks, supply fighters and finance operations. They say they have broken the IS siege of Mount Sinjar, where thousands of Yazidis and other displaced Iraqis have been trapped since August.
IS controls a swathe of Iraq and Syria, where it has declared a caliphate.IS controls a swathe of Iraq and Syria, where it has declared a caliphate.
Meanwhile, Kurdish forces say they have broken the IS siege of Mount Sinjar. Meanwhile, the Pentagon's top officer says US air strikes have killed several high-ranking military leaders of Islamic State (IS) in Iraq.
Thousands of people, mainly from the Yazidi minority, had been trapped there for months by IS militants after fleeing the town of Sinjar. The Kurdish offensive against IS forces besieging Mount Sinjar began early on Wednesday with the most intensive round of air strikes yet by US and coalition forces - 45 in all.
On the ground, about 8,000 Kurdish peshmerga fighters launched a two-pronged attack which they said had succeeded in opening a wide corridor to allow members of the Yazidi minority and others to leave.
A statement from the Kurdish command said large numbers of militant fighters had fled westwards into Syria or eastwards towards Mosul, which they captured in June.
The BBC's Jim Muir says that if the Kurds have done all they say, it is a significant advance.
But he adds that there is still a long way to go - the town of Sinjar itself, to the south of the mountain, remains in IS hands, as do Mosul and the nearby town of Tal Afar.
'High-value targets''High-value targets'
US air strikes against IS began after the group posted gruesome videos of US and other Western hostages being murdered.US air strikes against IS began after the group posted gruesome videos of US and other Western hostages being murdered.
Gen Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the air strikes that had killed the IS leaders were designed to hamper the Islamist group's ability to conduct attacks, supply fighters and finance operations.
Gen Dempsey told the Wall Street Journal that the loss of IS leaders was "disruptive to their planning and command and control".Gen Dempsey told the Wall Street Journal that the loss of IS leaders was "disruptive to their planning and command and control".
He added: "These are high-value targets, senior leadership."He added: "These are high-value targets, senior leadership."
Pentagon officials said that between 3 and 9 December, US air strikes killed Abd al-Basit, head of IS military operations in Iraq, and Haji Mutazz, a key aide of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.Pentagon officials said that between 3 and 9 December, US air strikes killed Abd al-Basit, head of IS military operations in Iraq, and Haji Mutazz, a key aide of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
They added that in late November another strike killed Radwin Talib, IS governor of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.They added that in late November another strike killed Radwin Talib, IS governor of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
Other defence officials said a number of senior and mid-level IS commanders had also died in air strikes, and that they believed this was beginning to significantly weaken the group's leadership structure.Other defence officials said a number of senior and mid-level IS commanders had also died in air strikes, and that they believed this was beginning to significantly weaken the group's leadership structure.
Two-pronged attack
The Kurdish offensive against IS forces besieging Mount Sinjar began early on Wednesday with the most intensive round of air strikes yet by US and coalition forces - 45 in all.
On the ground, about 8,000 Kurdish peshmerga fighters launched a two-pronged attack which they said had succeeded in opening a wide corridor to allow members of the Yazidi minority and others to leave.
A statement from the Kurdish command said large numbers of militant fighters had fled westwards into Syria or eastwards towards Mosul, which they captured in June.
The BBC's Jim Muir says that if the Kurds have done all they say, it is a significant advance but there is still a long way to go - the town of Sinjar itself, to the south of the mountain, remains in IS hands, as do Mosul and the nearby town of Tal Afar.