US fighter planes conducted airstrikes in northern Iraq

U.S. fighter planes conducted five airstrikes against Islamic State targets in northern Iraq on Thursday, continuing a limited campaign aimed at helping Iraqi and Kurdish forces retake key territory and degrade the militants' capability.
U.S. Central Command said in a brief statement that the fighters destroyed a Humvee, a tank, four armed vehicles and a construction vehicle near the Mosul Dam on the Tigris River. They also damaged an Islamic State checkpoint. The attacks on Thursday brought to 106 the number of U.S. airstrikes in Iraq since Aug. 8.
The Obama administration is considering whether to expand its military effort against the Islamic State group to include airstrikes inside Syria. It also is considering a new humanitarian relief operation in northern Iraq to ease pressure on displaced Shiite Turkmen who are besieged by militants around the town of Amirli.