- Videos show three separate military strikes by the U.S. - the first since it withdrew troops from Iraq in 2011
- Troops dropped 500lb bombs on Islamic State vehicles to stop 'campaign of terror' with 'hallmarks of genocide'
- Obama says more strikes are likely around the Sinjar Mountains where thousands of refugees are besieged
- 28,000 meals parachuted to members of religious minority today cornered by militants for Islamic State
- Britain joins campaign as government pledges another £8m in aid and two supply planes leave RAF Brize Norton
- Military action by U.S. prompted violent response by militants amid fears UK could be drawn into another conflict
- Cobra emergency committee met at 3pm today convened by the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond
- British Special Forces are in the region, some of whom speak Arabic - but MOD insists operation is humanitarian
Footage has
revealed the moment U.S. forces launched their first airstrikes on Iraq
in three years as President Obama vowed to prevent 'genocide' by
Islamic extremists.
Shot
from fighter jets and drones which were dispatched yesterday, the
images show missiles exploding on three separate militants' convoys
yesterday in an escalation which has sparked vows of retribution by the
Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS.
It
came before fresh packages of aid were delivered today to the tens of
thousands of refugees trapped on a mountainside, as the U.S. President
said there could be further airstrikes if they are needed to protect
refugees.
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U.S. troops made the second air drop this morning with 28,000 meals and almost 7,000 litres of water to the Sinjar Mountains in northern Iraq, a barren range which has become home to tens of thousands of Yazidis.
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U.S. troops made the second air drop this morning with 28,000 meals and almost 7,000 litres of water to the Sinjar Mountains in northern Iraq, a barren range which has become home to tens of thousands of Yazidis.
Along
with Christians and Shia Muslims, the members of an ancient religion
are persecuted by the radical Islamists who have swept through Iraq
because they claim they are heretics.
Other
Yazidis have fled across the border to Turkey or taken shelter in
Lalish, the holy valley containing the tomb of one of their leaders,
where photos show them huddled together on blankets with babies in basic
cribs.
The U.S.
began its landmark military campaign yesterday against Islamic State,
formerly and more commonly known as ISIS, whose fighters have swept
through huge tracts of Iraq murdering thousands of people in their path.
Two
F/A-18 jets dropped 500lb bombs on a piece of Islamic State artillery
and the truck towing it yesterday, sparking promises of retribution from
the militants amid fears Britain could be drawn into another Iraqi
conflict.
Speaking
today, President Obama said more air strikes were likely around the
Sinjar Mountains where the Yazidis are trapped - and refused to give a
timetable for how long the offensive might take.
Warning: Speaking today, U.S.
President Barack Obama said more strikes are likely around the Sinjar
Mountains where thousands of refugees have been trapped
'The
U.S. and Iraqi governments have stepped up our military assistance to
Kurds as they wage this fight,' he said. 'American aircraft are
positioned to strike IS terrorists around the mountain to help forces in
Iraq break the seige and rescue those who are trapped there.'
He
insisted he was pursuing a 'broader strategy' aimed at 'preventing an
act of genocide'. 'Ultimately only Iraqis can ensure the stability and
security of Iraq', he said. 'The United States can't do it for them.'
But
he added: 'We will protect our American citizens in Iraq whether
they're diplomats, civilians or military. If these terrorists threaten
our facilities or our personnel we will take action to protect our
people.
'We
will continue to provide military assistance and advice to the Iraqi
government as they battle these terrorists so they cannot establish a
safe haven.
'This
morning I spoke with Prime Minister Cameron of the UK and President
Hollande of France and I'm pleased that both leaders agree with our
strong support.
'Once again America is proud to act alongside our closest friends and allies.'
Aid: Several tonnes of blankets and
drinking water were loaded onto an RAF Hercules C130 at RAF Brize
Norton, Oxfordshire. Two of the planes left for Iraq today
Pledge: Britain has declared another
£8million in aid to the 500,000 refugees in Iraq who have been forced
from their homes by the threats of Islamic State militants
British Foreign Secretary Philip
Hammond said: 'We can expect a continuing drumbeat of airdrop operations
working in co-ordination with the U.S.'
Lifeline: Bob Gibbons from the
Department for International Development and Cpl Chris Kent perform
final checks on the British humanitarian aid bound for Iraq
British
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, who chaired a meeting of the
government's emergency committee Cobra this afternoon, added: 'We can
expect a continuing drumbeat of airdrop operations working in
co-ordination with the U.S. and potentially with others as well.
'But
more widely we are looking at how to support this group of people and
get them off that mountain, how we are going to facilitate their exit
from what is a completely unacceptable situation.'
This
morning a cargo plane with urgent humanitarian supplies left RAF Brize
Norton, Oxfordshire, hours after Britain pledged another £8million in
urgent aid. It is believed another similar plane will leave in the near
future.
The haul on the C130 Hercules aircraft includes clean water, tents and tarpaulins for up to 75,000 people.
A
second plane left this afternoon - but the Ministry of Defence has been
keen to stress there are no desires to enter another war.
A spokesman told MailOnline today: 'We're talking about a humanitarian mission, not a military one'.
And
Britain has Special Forces in the region working with US counterparts,
identifying potential targets for further air strikes aimed at stopping
the advances of Islamists towards Kurdish areas or Baghdad.
Many SAS men speak Arabic and know Iraq's mountains and cities well after a decade of missions. An MOD spokesman said: 'We do not comment on the movements of Special Forces'.
Persecuted: Yazidi children (pictured)
have taken to sheltering in the holy valley of Lalish, while others
trapped in the Sinjar Mountains were flown renewed supplies by the U.S.
today. The religious minority is not alone in being threatened by the
militants, who also say Christians and Shia Muslims are heretics and
should convert
Plight:
Left, a Yazidi woman and a young baby shelter in Lalish, the religion's
holy valley in northern Iraq. Right: A Yazidi girl who has escaped to
the city of Sirnak, Turkey
Under siege: Surrounded by Islamic
extremists in northern Iraq, thousands of traditional Yazidi people have
taken to sheltering in their holy valley of Lalish
Amid
the threat - which has seen insurgents repairing Iraq's biggest dam
this morning just half an hour's drive from the Kurdish regional capital
Irbil - Kurds have been buying up scores of AK-47s at markets and
foreign oil firm employees have been flown home.
Etihad
Airways has become the latest carrier to stop flying over Iraq after
Emirates, the Middle East's largest airline, did the same.
Yesterday
extremists captured hundreds of Yazidi women in Mosul and held them in
schools while thousands of other civilians fled in fear, according to
officials.
Kami
Amin, a spokesman for Iraq's human rights ministry, said: 'We think
that the terrorists by now consider them slaves and they have vicious
plans for them.
'We
think that these women are going to be used in demeaning ways by those
terrorists to satisfy their animalistic urges in a way that contradicts
all the human and Islamic values.'
Threat: Islamic State fighters have
continued their relentless sweep through Iraq, causing refugees to flee
and carrying out brutal executions on their enemies
Shelter: The valley of Lalish. Today
the U.S. made a second air drop with 28,000 meals and almost 7,000
litres of water as Britain sends supplied for 75,000 people
Babies: Yazidis taking shelter in the
holy valley of Lalish in northern Iraq. The UN says more than 500,000
people have been displaced by Islamists' campaign of terror
Holy site: The valley of Lalish is
where one of the most important figures in the Yazidi faith is buried.
It has become a place of shelter but may not remain so for long
Yazidis belong to ancient religion seen by the Islamic State group as heretical and are not alone in being persecuted.
The group also sees Shia Muslims as apostates, and has demanded Christians either convert to Islam or pay a special tax.
Escorted
by two Navy fighter jets this morning, three planes dropped 72 bundles
of supplies for the refugees trapped in the Sinjar Mountains in northern
Iraq, where they are trying to escape to Turkey.
The
extremists' 'campaign of terror against the innocent, including the
Yazidi and Christian minorities, and its grotesque and targeted acts of
violence bear all the warning signs and hallmarks of genocide,' said
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. 'For anyone who needed a wake-up
call, this is it.'
The
U.S. bombing yesterday was followed up by a second round of airstrikes
near Irbil, the city where officials said the artillery would have been
used.
Support: This image released today by
the U.S. Department of Defense shows pallets of bottled water loaded and
ready for yesterday's first humanitarian air drop
As well as supplies from the U.S.
(pictured), Britain announced an extra £8million in aid yesterday and
the first batch of supplies left RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire today
Relief: Yazidi people who have fled
Iraq to the Turkish city of Sirnak. Thousands of refugees have been
pouring across the border as the violence spreads
Pictured: A Yazidi woman who has made
it over the border to Turkey. Islamic State have captured a string of
towns and Iraq's largest hydroelectric dam in recent weeks
The Yazidi religion is centred around
worship of the fallen archangel Melek Tawwus, or Peacock Angel. Unlike
Satan's fall from grace, Melek Tawwus was readmitted into Heaven by God
and represents humanity's potential for both good and evil. This means
followers have unfairly become known as devil-worshippers in Iraq
Gathered on blankets: The Yazidi
people, along with Christians and Shia Muslims, are considered heretics
by the Islamist fighters sweeping through Iraq
Officials said unmanned aircraft hit a mortar and four Navy F/A-18 fighter jets destroyed a seven-vehicle convoy.
President Obama then said the U.S. will continue airstrikes 'if necessary' to protect civilians in Iraq.
According
to the U.N., more than 500,000 people have been displaced by the
violence in Iraq since June, bringing the total this year to well over a
million.
Expanding
from their stronghold of Mosul, Islamic State have captured a string of
towns and Iraq's largest hydroelectric dam and reservoir in recent
weeks.
The
group captured Mosul in June then launched a blitz towards the south,
sweeping over Sunni-majority towns almost to the capital, Baghdad.
Last line of defence: Kurdish fighters
(pictured) say they are willing to fight to the death to defend their
homeland in northern Iraq from the Islamic State fighters
Forces: With almost no armour, Kurdish
peshmerga troops stand guard today against the Islamic State threat in
the Yezidis' most holy site, the valley of Lalish
Battle: Kurdish peshmerga fighters
load a missile launcher yesterday during clashes with the army groups
led by Islamic State fighters in Mosul, Iraq
Missile: The Kurdish fighters are seen
as the last line of defence because they are poorly-resourced to deal
with the invading horde of militants
Unlike in the previous Iraq invasion,
Kurdish fighters (pictured) have welcomed U.S. involvement. Kurdish
leader Khalid Jamal Alber said: 'We thank Barack Obama'
It
already holds large parts of western Iraq and neighboring Syria,
and Iraqi government forces crumbled in the face of the assault but have
since been able to prevent the militants from advancing into
Shiite-majority areas.
In
the north, Kurdish fighters have been the main line of defense against
the radicals but they are over-stretched and under-resourced.
In
contrast to Washington's decision to invade Iraq more than a decade
ago, both the airdrop and the authorization of military action against
the Islamic State group were widely welcomed by Iraqi and Kurdish
officials fearful of the militants' advance.
'We thank Barack Obama,' said Khalid Jamal Alber, from the Religious Affairs Ministry in the Kurdish government.
The
International Rescue Committee said it was providing emergency medical
care for up to 4,000 dehydrated Yazidis, mostly women and children, who
survived without food or water for up to six days hiding in the Sinjar
mountains before fleeing to a refugee camp in Syria, where a civil war
is raging.
Officials
in Britain, Germany and elsewhere pledged financial aid to support
humanitarian efforts in Iraq, and several top European officials
supported Obama's decision to intervene with airstrikes.
Making contact: Iraqi Yazidi people
who fled the Sinjar town of Mosul to the Silopi district of Turkey's
Sirnak city due to the attacks of Islamic State-led armed groups
Getting signal: While some have
escaped the country, other Yazidis - this man included - are forced to
consider their options in their holy valley of Lalish
How events unfolded: Yesterday marked a
landmark campaign by the U.S., its first incursion into Iraq by air
since troops pulled out of the country in 2011
WHO ARE THE YAZIDIS? 6,000-YEAR-OLD RELIGION HAS FEWER THAN A MILLION FOLLOWERS IN EXTREME POVERTY
There are about 700,000 Yazidis in the world, living chiefly in northern Iraq and on Mount Sinjar.
They are ethnically Kurdish but adhere to a religion founded some 6,000 years ago by an Ummayyad sheikh.
The
religion, while it predates Christianity and Islam, incorporates
elements of each, as well as Zoroastrianism, an ancient belief founded
by an Iranian philosopher in around 6BC.
Followers
regard wearing blue as sacrilege, they never eat cabbage or lettuce
because it creates wind and their men often have long beards and wear
their hair in plaits - which make them resemble the cartoon characters
of ancient Gaul, Asterix and Obelix.
The
Yazidis live in small communities mainly scattered through northwest
Iraq, north west Syria and south east Turkey, although members are also
found in Georgia and Armenia.
Accounts
of their population vary, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to a
million, and their number has fallen considerably over the past 100
years.
Despite
this, they have a well-organised society, following a chief sheikh as
their religious leader and an emir, or prince, as the secular head.
The religion is centred around worship of the fallen archangel Melek Tawwus, or Peacock Angel.
But
unlike Satan's fall from grace, Melek Tawwus was readmitted into Heaven
by God and represents humanity's potential for both good and evil.
For
this reason, the Yazidis have unfairly garnered a reputation as
devil-worshippers among certain faiths, and have faced centuries of
alienation, oppression and attempted extermination. Yazidis - who do not
believe in hell or evil - deny they are.
Many
Yazidi traditions are shrouded in such secrecy that most have never
been witnessed by outsiders. Yazidis regard marriage outside their faith
as a sin punishable by ostracism or even death to restore lost honour.
Most Yazidis, even young people, choose to live in their isolated communities, though they often face extreme poverty.
The
Yazidis have been targeted before, and claim to have been subjected to
72 genocides during the Ottoman rule of the 18th and 19th centuries.
In 2007 a series of massive truck bombs in northern Iraq killed nearly 500 villagers from the group in August 2007.
Now,
forced to flee after the Islamic State group gave them an ultimatum to
convert to Islam, pay a religious fine, flee or face death, the plight
of these secretive people is under the world's spotlight.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2720559/The-desperate-plight-Yazidis-Images-reveal-horror-refugees-besieged-ISIS-U-S-parachutes-emergency-supplies-50-000-trapped-mountainside.html#ixzz39ui6U9lv
More:
More:
Desperate masses: Stranded Yazidi men,
women and children rush towards a Kurdish helicopter carrying aid
today, as IS fighters surround mount Sinjar
Tearful: Some children were carried off to safety, but thousands of the religious minority remains stranded on the mountainside
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