The strikes were at the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, according to statement from the Combined Joint Task Force responsible for the coalition operation in Iraq and Syria.
“These strikes are intended to destroy ISIL strongholds with precision, thereby saving innocent Iraqi lives while minimizing collateral damage to infrastructure,” said Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, the task force’s commanding general, using another acronym for ISIS. “This will further enable Iraqi forces under Iraqi command to maneuver and defeat ISIL in the vicinity of Tikrit.”
The Iraqi military launched a ground offensive in Tikrit earlier this month to retake the city from ISIS militants who have held it since June, but did not ask for coalition air support. The main government forces leading the battle on the ground are Shiite fighters known as the Popular Mobilization Units; they are backed by Iran, which trains and equips the group. The U.S. involvement in this particular operation raises questions about how closely the two estranged nations will be working together.