ISIS Kirkuk governor, dozens of militants, killed in coalition airstrikes

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Islamic State’s (ISIS) Kirkuk governor and 80 other jihadis were killed in US-led coalition airstrikes on the militants east of Kirkuk province on Wednesday, Iraq’s defense ministry said.

“The coalition warplanes conducted attacks on ISIS military bases in Riyaz, east of Kirkuk province, killing the ISIS governor and some of the jihadists,” the ministry said in a statement.

The warplanes conducted 13 attacks on ISIS bases, inflicting large casualties and destroying heavy-weapons depots, the statement added.

The airstrikes took place after Iraq provided intelligence on ISIS numbers and movements in the province, according to the statement.

On Wednesday, the coalition pounded ISIS on the Gwer front, hitting targets in the villages of Salhiya, Kbrouk, and Kanhash, killing and wounding some 40 jihadis and destroying an ISIS rocket launcher, according to the Kurdish Peshmerga.

After the advancement of ISIS in Iraq and its seizure of Mosul province, the US-led coalition was established to defeat ISIS, and it continues targeting ISIS fighters at different districts in Iraq and Syria.