Britain airdrops humanitarian aid for besieged Iraqis

US Soldiers work with parachute riggers to palletize water for a humanitarian airdrop over Iraq at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia in this August 7, 2014 photo released on August 9, 2014. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
US Soldiers work with parachute riggers to palletize water for a humanitarian airdrop over Iraq at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia in this August 7, 2014 photo released on August 9, 2014. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

LONDON (AFP) - Britain has begun airdropping food and water to thousands of civilians stranded on a mountain in northern Iraq after fleeing jihadist militants, the British development ministry said on Sunday.

Two British transport planes were deployed to the Sinjar region, where extremist Islamic State militants are on the offensive, on Saturday, a ministry spokesman told AFP.

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