US warplanes carried out two days of air strikes against Islamic State fighters near Sinjar, southwest of Baghdad.  These were the first attacks against the Sunni militants since announcing the international coalition last week.  All aircraft got in and out of the target area safely.

The US military released a statement explaining that the air strike were in support of Iraqi troop as part of “expanded efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions to hit (IS) targets”.  Six IS vehicles were reportedly destroyed.

US President Barack Obama has signaled that the International Coalition that Australia is taking part in will hit at Islamic State targets not just in Iraq but in Syria as well.  Prime Minister Tony Abbott is not ruling out Oz’s involvement on the Syrian side of the border.

“I don’t rule it out, but it’s not our intention at this time,” Abbott said to ABC Radio.  “Obviously we’ve sent this force to the Middle East with an eye to engaging in combat operations inside Iraq, but we're not fighting another country, we’re fighting the terrorists of the ISIL death cult.”  ISIL and ISIS are alternative names for Islamic State.