[h=1]US troops land on Iraq's Mt Sinjar to plan for Yazidi evacuation[/h] US marines and special forces to assess options for rescue of refugees stranded on mountain by militant group Isis
A team of US marines and special forces landed on Mount Sinjar in Iraq on Wednesday to assess options for a potential rescue of Yazidi civilians threatened by Islamic extremists and worn down by lack of food.
The personnel flew in on V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft that can land vertically, joining a small number of American special forces who, the Guardian has been told, had been on the mountain for some days. That team had been assessing the military and humanitarian situation and guiding US air strikes against Islamic State (Isis) fighters encircling the mountain.
A handful of British SAS soldiers were also in the area to “gather intelligence”, a British official said. The developments were the first confirmation that international forces were on Mount Sinjar.
Fleeing Yazidis have reported seeing small teams of American soldiers high on the northern flank. “We weren’t allowed to go near them,” said a man from Sinjar who was airlifted from the former base. “They were being guarded by the Kurds.”
The team that landed on Mount Sinjar on Wednesday conducted a reconnaissance mission before returning to the Kurdish regional capital, Irbil, officials said. “Today a team of fewer than 20 US personnel conducted an assessment of the situation on Mount Sinjar. All personnel have returned safely to Irbil by military air,” a US defence official said, on condition of anonymity.
The US later announced that a drone strike destroyed armed truck operated by Islamic militants in the area, the latest of several strikes conducted against Isis positions in recent days.
In Washington, the Obama administration was forced to defend itself against accusations of mission creep after admitting that it was considering a direct role for US forces in creating a “humanitarian corridor” for an evacuation of the Yazidis.
US troops land on Iraq's Mt Sinjar to plan for Yazidi evacuation | World news | theguardian.com
A team of US marines and special forces landed on Mount Sinjar in Iraq on Wednesday to assess options for a potential rescue of Yazidi civilians threatened by Islamic extremists and worn down by lack of food.
The personnel flew in on V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft that can land vertically, joining a small number of American special forces who, the Guardian has been told, had been on the mountain for some days. That team had been assessing the military and humanitarian situation and guiding US air strikes against Islamic State (Isis) fighters encircling the mountain.
A handful of British SAS soldiers were also in the area to “gather intelligence”, a British official said. The developments were the first confirmation that international forces were on Mount Sinjar.
Fleeing Yazidis have reported seeing small teams of American soldiers high on the northern flank. “We weren’t allowed to go near them,” said a man from Sinjar who was airlifted from the former base. “They were being guarded by the Kurds.”
The team that landed on Mount Sinjar on Wednesday conducted a reconnaissance mission before returning to the Kurdish regional capital, Irbil, officials said. “Today a team of fewer than 20 US personnel conducted an assessment of the situation on Mount Sinjar. All personnel have returned safely to Irbil by military air,” a US defence official said, on condition of anonymity.
The US later announced that a drone strike destroyed armed truck operated by Islamic militants in the area, the latest of several strikes conducted against Isis positions in recent days.
In Washington, the Obama administration was forced to defend itself against accusations of mission creep after admitting that it was considering a direct role for US forces in creating a “humanitarian corridor” for an evacuation of the Yazidis.
US troops land on Iraq's Mt Sinjar to plan for Yazidi evacuation | World news | theguardian.com
