A U.S. official confirmed
to CNN that armed American drones started flying over Baghdad in the
previous 24 hours to provide additional protection for 180 U.S. military
advisers in the area. Until now, U.S. officials had said all drone
reconnaissance flights over Iraq were unarmed.
Using the drones for any
offensive strikes against insurgent Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
fighters would continue to require approval from U.S. President Barack
Obama.
Also on Friday, Kurdish
leader Masoud Barzani said disputed areas in northern Iraq, including
the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, are part of the Kurdish autonomous region
from now on after the Iraqi central government failed to hold a
long-awaited referendum.
Earlier this month, the Iraqi army withdrew from Kirkuk and Kurdish
Peshmerga forces took control of the city and small villages in the
areas as ISIS carried out a lightning offensive and took several cities
in northern Iraq.
Source:CNN
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