American fighter planes equipped with precision-guided missiles launched airstrikes on an Iraqi town near the Syrian border Saturday, killing about 40 "insurgents" who were stopping and searching civilian cars, the US Army stated.
Seven missiles were fired at heavily armed men near Karabilah, close to the town of Qaem, the Marines said in a statement. The "insurgents" were armed with AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers and had "set up a barricade on a main road to the city and were threatening Iraqi civilians," the military said.
U.S. warplanes backed by helicopters started the airstrikes at 11:40 a.m. and ended them at 4 p.m. "once all the targets were destroyed," the military said. About 40 "insurgents" were killed. "The coalition aircraft and fighter jets and attack helicopters from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing attacked the insurgent compound and surrounding area targeting the armed men," the statement said, according to The AP. "There are no reports of civilian casualties or collateral damage."
