DHAKA: The United States has no plans to expand its air campaign in Iraq beyond protecting American personnel in the city of Arbil and besieged Yazidi refugees.

The Pentagon said on Monday, The Straits Times publishes this report on Tuesday.

‘There are no plans to expand the current air campaign beyond the current self defence activities,’ Lieutenant General William Mayville told reporters at the Pentagon.

Last week, US warplanes launched strikes to beat back extremist fighters from the so-called Islamic State who had threatened to massacre the Yazidi religious minority and attack Arbil.

Arbil, the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, hosts a US consulate and other facilities, and president Barack Obama said he had ordered air strikes to protect American lives.

BDST: 1225 HRS, AUG 12, 2014