US warplanes bombed Islamic State (IS) jihadists around a strategic dam on the Euphrates River in an area that the jihadists have repeatedly tried to capture from government troops and their Sunni militia allies.

“We conducted these strikes to prevent terrorists from further threatening the security of the dam, which remains under control of Iraqi security forces, with support from Sunni tribes,” Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said…

It was the first time that Washington had carried out air strikes in support of forces including Sunni Arab militia in the current conflict.

Late last month it gave limited air support to the army, Shiite militia and Kurdish fighters in breaking an IS siege of the Shiite Turkmen town of Amerli north of Baghdad.