US air force carpet-bombs ‘Isis-infested island’ in Iraq
Anti-Isis coalition says island was transit hub for fighters
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The US air force has released a video showing fighter jets carpet-bombing an island it said was “infested” with Isis fighters.
The footage shows the small, tree-covered Qanus Island, in Iraq’s Saladin province, peppered with a series of huge explosions in quick succession.
A spokesperson for the US-led coalition to defeat Isis said the strikes on Tuesday were aimed at destroying a “major transit hub” for Isis forces moving between the Jazeera desert into the Mosul region. It was followed by a ground operation by Iraqi forces.
The bombing run was carried out by F15 and F35 fighter jets, which dropped 36,000kg of bombs on the “Daesh infested island”, a tweet from the spokesperson added.
“We’re denying Daesh [Isis] the ability to hide on Qanus Island,” said Major General Eric T Hill. “We’re setting the conditions for our partner forces to continue bringing stability to the region.”
Large bombing raids such as the one shown in the video have become a relatively rare occurrence since the Isis caliphate was defeated earlier this year, but the terror organisation is already regrouping in parts of Iraq.
Much as it did in the prelude to its meteoric rise in 2014, Isis has been carrying out targeted assassinations of local political, tribal, and security leaders – and indeed anyone who it deems to be cooperating with the Iraqi government.
The US-led mission to defeat Isis is continuing to work with Iraqi forces to go after the resurgent Isis pockets.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments