Saturday 09 August 2014 08.12US military planes have dropped containers with water and tens of thousands of meals to civilians fleeing jihadist violence in Iraq, the Pentagon said.
'This airdrop was conducted from multiple air bases within the US Central Command area of responsibility and as with last night, included one C-17 and two C-130 cargo aircraft that together dropped a total of 72 bundles of supplies,' the Pentagon said in a statement.
The cargo planes were accompanied by two F-18 fighter jets from the USS George H.W. Bush, a US aircraft carrier positioned in the Gulf, it said.
The supplies included 28,224 US military rations and 1,522 gallons of drinking water.
'To date, in coordination with the government of Iraq, US military aircraft have delivered 36,224 meals and 6,822 gallons of fresh drinking water, providing much-needed aid to Iraqis,' the Pentagon said.
The Obama administration ordered strikes on fighters from the Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot yesterday.
The US is trying to stop militants from overrunning Arbil, the capital of Iraq's northern Kurdish enclave, and from continuing attacks on religious and ethnic minorities.
Yesterday was the first day US warplanes bombed Islamist fighters after President Barack Obama said Washington must act to prevent 'genocide'.
Islamic State fighters have advanced to within a half hour's drive of Arbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdish region and a hub for US oil companies.
They have also seized control of Iraq's biggest dam, which could allow them to flood cities and cut off vital water and electricity supplies.
Mr Obama this week authorised the first US air strikes on Iraq since he pulled all troops out in 2011.
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