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Iraq: 250 ISIS Fighters Dead In U.S Airstrikes Near Fallujah

By Rahul Srinivas
Published on: 13:51 PST, Jun 29, 2016

In one of the biggest setbacks to the Islamic State (or the ISIS) in recent times, more than 250 fighters who had pledged allegiance to the organization and were fighting the Iraqi army were killed in a U.S. airstrike. According to a Fox News report, the airstrikes targeted a large convoy of ISIS fighters who were escaping the city of Fallujah which was recently liberated from their control after being under ISIS control for over two years. U.S. military officials have confirmed that the airstrikes were carried out targeting fleeing ISIS fighters. Speaking to Fox News, one official revealed that the strikes were carried out in the southern outskirts of the city. Another official added,

“There was a strike on a convoy of ISIS fighters trying to leave a neighborhood on the outskirts of southern Fallujah that we struck.”

Apart from leaving 250 ISIS fighters dead, the airstrikes also destroyed more than 40 vehicles used by them.

However, questions are already being raised whether the convoy really consisted of ISIS fighters. Several social media posts claim that the convoy that was hit was in fact a group of civilians fleeing the war-torn city. We have embedded a few tweets below. Note that these reports have not been verified yet.

The news of ISIS fighters being targeted in U.S. airstrikes has come more than 24 hours after the horrific terror attacks in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul. On Tuesday night, a group of fighters, including three suicide bombers, targeted the Ataturk International Airport, the busiest in the country, resulting in the deaths of more than 41 people. Several others were injured in the attack, which also happens to be one of the worst terrorist attacks in the history of Turkey.

While the ISIS has yet to claim responsibility for the attacks in Turkey, several terrorism experts have already blamed the organization for the attacks. This included CIA director John Brennan who said that the Istanbul Airport attack “bears the hallmarks of ISIL’s depravity.”

“If anybody here believes the U.S. homeland is hermetically sealed and that ISIS would not consider that, I would guard against it,” he further added.

His statements came less than a month after he addressed the U.S. Congress where he reiterated that U.S. military action has not affected the ability of the ISIS to conduct global terror attacks. He had also warned the U.S. and its allies to expect more attacks — especially from fringe groups who sympathize with the ISIS and its ideology. He also warned about the dangers of western fighters who may play a big role in carrying out terror operations in the West.

Meanwhile, Turkey has also warned of severe consequences to the ISIS and other terror groups targeting the country of late. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said that the attacks were targeted to prevent the growth of Turkey as one of the leading global economies. Referring to the other terror organizations that have attacked Turkey of late, he added,

“Neither the PKK, the DHKP-C, nor Daesh… will succeed in deterring Turkey from its goals,.

He also went on to add that the suicide bombers who targeted the Istanbul Airport were not Muslims and that they “have prepared their place in hell.”

(AP Photo)

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