The Iraqi air force on Thursday carried out a "deadly raid" against positions of the Islamic State group in neighbouring Syria, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said.

Abadi ordered the strike against the jihadists "because of the danger they pose to Iraqi territory," a statement said.

A video released by the air force showed two F-16 fighter jets in action.

"These raids demonstrate the growing capacity of our armed forces to hunt down and liquidate terrorists," it added.

The US-led coalition fighting IS said the air strike targeted an area of eastern Syria's Deir Ezzor province near Hajin, around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the border with Iraq.

The strike, carried out with intelligence support from the coalition, "demonstrates Iraq's commitment to destroy Daesh (IS) remnants who continue to threaten their citizens", said Brigadier General Robert B. Sofge, deputy commander of coalition operations.

Iraq declared victory in December against IS, which launched a sweeping offensive in 2014 and at one point controlled a third of the country.

The jihadists still control pockets of desert along the border with Syria, where Iraq had already carried out limited raids against IS before Thursday's strike.

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More than 300 sentenced to death in Iraq for IS links
Baghdad (AFP) April 18, 2018
Iraqi courts have sentenced to death a total of more than 300 people, including dozens of foreigners, for belonging to the Islamic State group, judicial sources said Wednesday. The suspects are being tried by two courts, one near the former jihadist stronghold of Mosul in northern Iraq and another in Baghdad which is dealing notably with foreigners and women. Since January in the capital, 103 foreign nationals have been condemned to death - including six Turks sentenced on Wednesday - and 185 ... read more