A child cries in a military helicopter after being evacuated by Iraqi forces from Amerli, north of Baghdad. A home to around 180,000 people, mostly Turkmen Shiites, the small town of Amerli was freed of the Islamic State fighters’ siege. — Reuters

 

 

BAGHDAD — Iraqi forces broke through to the extremist-besieged Shiite town of Amerli Sunday, where thousands of people have been trapped for more than two months with dwindling food and water supplies.

 

It is the biggest offensive success for the Iraqi government since militants led by the Sunni Islamic State (IS) group overran large areas of five provinces in June, sweeping security forces aside.

 

The breakthrough came as America carried out limited strikes outside north Iraq for the first time since its air campaign against militants began more than three weeks ago, and aircraft from several countries dropped humanitarian aid to Amerli.

 

The mainly Shiite Turkmen residents of the town in Salaheddin province were running desperately short of food and water, and were in danger both because of their Shiite faith, which the militants consider heresy, and their resistance to the militants, which has drawn harsh retribution elsewhere. 

 

“Our forces entered Amerli and broke the siege,” Iraqi security spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassem Atta said, an account confirmed by a local official and a fighter from the town.

 

“It is a very important success,” Atta later said on state television, adding that there was still fighting in the area. The operation was launched on Saturday after days of preparations in which Iraqi security forces, Shiite militiamen and Kurdish fighters deployed for the assault and Iraqi aircraft carried out strikes against militants.

 

But the government’s reliance on the thousands of Shiite militiamen involved in the operation poses serious dangers for Iraq, risking entrenching groups with a history of brutal sectarian killings.

 

The United States announced that it carried out three air strikes in the Amerli area, expanding its air campaign outside the far north for the first time, while Australian, British, French and US aircraft dropped relief supplies for the town.

 

“At the request of the government of Iraq, the United States military today airdropped humanitarian aid to the town of Amerli,” said Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby. “The United States Air Force delivered this aid alongside aircraft from Australia, France and the United Kingdom, who also dropped much needed supplies.”

 

The aid drops came alongside “coordinated air strikes against nearby (IS) terrorists in order to support this humanitarian assistance operation,” he added. 

 

“The operations will be limited in their scope and duration as necessary to address this emerging humanitarian crisis and protect the civilians trapped in Amerli,” Kirby said.

 

US Central Command said the US supplies dropped included around 47,775 liters (10,500 gallons) of drinking water and 7,000 pre-packaged meals.

 

Three US air strikes destroyed five IS vehicles and a checkpoint.

 

Western aid for Amerli was slow in coming, however, with the burden of flying supplies and launching strikes in the area largely falling to Iraq’s fledging air forces. — AFP