As it happened: US launches air strikes against militants in Iraq

Key Points

• US drones and aircraft have attacked Islamic State (IS) artillery, mortar positions and vehicle convoys, in defence of the city of Irbil
• President Barack Obama authorised air strikes on Thursday, but says he will not send US troops back to Iraq
• IS has seized Iraq's largest dam near its stronghold of Mosul. The group captured Iraq's biggest Christian town of Qaraqosh earlier this week
• The UN says 50,000 refugees from the Yazidi community are trapped on Mount Sinjar
• IS already controls swathes of northern Iraq and has advanced south towards Baghdad
• All times GMT