U.S. launches airstrikes around Iraq’s Haditha Dam

The U.S. military said Sunday it launched airstrikes around Haditha Dam in western Iraq, targeting Islamic State (ISIL, or ISIS) insurgents there for the first time in a move to prevent the group from capturing the vital water source. Officials said that while the Anbar Province dam remains in control of the Iraqis, the U.S. offensive was an effort to beat back militants who have been trying to take over key dams across the country, including the Haditha complex.

We will continue to conduct operations as needed in support of the Iraqi Security Forces and the Sunni tribes, working with those forces securing Haditha Dam.

Rear Admiral John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary

The strikes represented a broadening of the U.S. campaign against the Islamic State, moving the military operations closer to the border of Syria, where the group has also been operating. The group was able to take control of the Mosul Dam in northern Iraq last month, but persistent U.S. airstrikes dislodged the militants. And while fighters have been trying to take it back, the U.S. has continued to use strikes to keep them at bay.

Middle East Haditha Dam