By Xinhua
Baghdad : US warplanes have struck at least 40 suspected Al Qaeda targets, dropping at least 40,000 pounds of explosives Thursday, the US military said.
Two B-1 bomber and four F-16 fighter jets struck targets in the Arab Jabour area, an Al Qaeda stronghold south of the capital, a military statement said.
Thirty-eight bombs were dropped within the first ten minutes, weighing 40,000 pounds, it said.
The air raids were part of the “Phantom Phoenix” operation jointly launched by the US and Iraqi forces Tuesday to make the current security gains sustainable.
The US military warned that Al Qaeda is still capable of launching attacks in Iraq.
The attack came a day after the US army announced the killing of nine of its soldiers north of the capital.