The US says it has launched an air strike against militants from the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq.<br /><br />The Pentagon said American aircraft attacked artillery that was being used against Kurdish forces defending the northern city of Irbil.<br /><br />President Barack Obama authorised air strikes on Thursday, but said he would not send US troops back to Iraq.<br /><br />The Sunni Muslim group IS, formerly known as Isis, now has control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria.<br /><br />In June, IS took control of the city of Mosul. Earlier this week, its fighters seized Qaraqosh, Iraq's biggest Christian town.<br /><br />The advance of IS also forced tens of thousands of people from the Yazidi community - another minority group in northern Iraq - to leave their homes and seek shelter on a nearby mountain.<br /><br /><br /><br />For More information on this news visit : http://www.newsx.com/<br />Connect with us on Social platform at : http://www.facebook.com/newsxonline<br />Subscribe to our YouTube Channel : http://www.youtube.com/newsxlive
