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Global

U.S. coalition air strikes hit Islamic State near supply route


    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies said they have staged 25 air strikes in Iraq and Syria in the latest round of daily attacks on Islamic State, including strikes near the Turkey-Syria border where Kurds have pushed back against the militant group and cut a main supply route.

    In a statement, the joint task force conducting the operations said the five air strikes on Monday near Tel Abyad hit three large and two small units of Islamic State fighters and destroyed three of the militants' vehicles.

    Syrian Kurdish-led forces on Monday said they had captured the town from Islamic State in an advance backed by the U.S.-led air strikes, now controlling some 400 kilometres (250 miles) of the Syrian-Turkish border.

    Similar Islamic State assets were hit near other Syrian cities of Ar Raqqa and Kobani, according to the task force statement released on Tuesday.

    Additionally, 16 other strikes in Iraq on Monday hit Islamic State tactical units, vehicles, fighting positions and a rocket system, the statement said.

    (Writing by Bill Trott and Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)