Coalition planes pound IS-held Saddam palace: UK

AFP, LONDON: Coalition warplanes bombed one of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s palaces which was being used as a training base by the Islamic State jihadist group, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said Wednesday.
The palace in the IS stronghold of Mosul in northern Iraq was attacked in a joint operation by the US-led coalition on Monday, with British Tornado jets targeting the headquarters buildings and a security centre.
Extensive surveillance established that the IS group, also known as Daesh, was using the palace and its sprawling grounds as a headquarters and training centre for foreign recruits, the ministry said.
Within the secure compound on the banks of the River Tigris, the main palace building was being used as accommodation and a meeting venue.
The site also contained “a number of more discreet outbuildings used for command and control, training, internal security and repression”, it said.

Coalition planes pound IS-held Saddam palace: UK

AFP, LONDON: Coalition warplanes bombed one of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Husseins palaces which was being used as a training base by the Islamic State jihadist group, Britains Ministry of Defence said Wednesday. The palace in the IS stronghold of Mosul in northern Iraq was attacked in a joint operation by the US-led coalition on Monday, with British Tornado jets targeting the headquarters buildings and a security centre. Extensive surveillance established that the IS group, also known as Daesh, was using the palace and its sprawling grounds as a headquarters and training centre for foreign recruits, the ministry said. Within the secure compound on the banks of the River Tigris, the main palace building was being used as accommodation and a meeting venue. The site also contained a number of more discreet outbuildings used for command and control, training, internal security and repression, it said.