国际英语新闻:U.S. military continues airstrikes against Islamic State militants

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. military forces continued to attack the Islamic State (IS) forces in Iraq, using a mix of attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft to conduct five airstrikes Sunday and Monday, according to a statement from the U. S. Central Command.

The airstrikes, which destroyed three armed vehicles and one Humvee of IS forces, were conducted under authority to protect U.S. personnel and facilities, support humanitarian efforts, and support Iraqi forces that are acting in furtherance of these objectives, said the statement which was released Monday.

The airstrikes have hurt IS's effectiveness, but the IS is still a threat, Pentagon spokesman Steve Warren during a press briefing Monday.

The Islamic State (IS), or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an al-Qaida splinter group also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has seized swaths of territory in Iraq and has forced thousands of people mainly from minority communities to flee their homes.

"The airstrikes that we conducted in support of Mosul Dam operations led to Iraqi forces retaking Mosul Dam. The airstrikes that we took in and around Amirli broke the back of the ISIL forces that were attempting to take Amirli. And now, over the weekend, these airstrikes conducted in support of Haditha Dam ... were tremendously effective," he said.

A total of 10 nations have joined the fight against IS, according to Warren. "I won't speak for any of those other nations and what their participation will be, but what I will say is that we welcome the participation of any nation in this critical fight against a legitimate terrorist organization."

U.S. Central Command has so far conducted a total of 148 airstrikes across Iraq.