Iraqi F-16s strike 2 ISIS hideouts north of Rawa, military says

ANBAR — Iraq’s Joint Operations Command said Friday that F-16 aircraft destroyed two Islamic State hideouts in an airstrike north of Rawa in Anbar province, based on intelligence provided by the Military Intelligence Directorate.

In a statement, the command said: “F-16 aircraft and their brave pilots targeted two terrorist shelters in northern Rawa,” adding that the strike was carried out as part of a “special operation” planned and supervised by the Joint Operations Command’s targeting cell.

Initial reports indicated the strike killed a group of ISIS militants and destroyed weapons, ammunition, equipment and logistical supplies inside the hideouts, the statement said.

The command said “the intelligence effort and joint coordination yielded effective results in pursuing the remnants of the defeated ISIS terrorist cells.”

The airstrikes come as Iraqi forces continue operations against ISIS cells that remain active in remote areas. Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service said Wednesday it arrested six people accused of involvement with the Islamic State group in operations across Kirkuk, Nineveh and Baghdad.