New York Times reports US airstrikes in Iraq; Pentagon denies: 'completely false'

Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby is denying press reports that the United States has conducted airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq, calling them “completely false.”

The New York Times, however, claims that two sites in northern Iraq have been bombed.

Wow. "American forces said to bomb ISIS targets in Iraq" reports @Alissanyt

— jack healy (@jackhealyNYT) August 7, 2014

NYT: "American military forces bombed at least two targets in northern Iraq…" Obama "preparing to make a statement" http://t.co/eKKkNkoplz

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 7, 2014

The New York Times reports:

American military forces bombed at least two targets in northern Iraq on Thursday night to rout Islamist insurgents who have trapped tens of thousands of religious minorities in Kurdish areas, Kurdish officials said.

Word of the bombings, reported on Kurdish television from the city of Erbil, came as President Obama was preparing to make a statement in Washington.

Kurdish officials said the bombings targeted fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria who had seized two towns, Gwer and Mahmour. Residents who had fled those areas by car were heard honking their horns in approval.

Some were disappointed to hear the Pentagon’s denial.

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.@PentagonPresSec Why not?!?

— John Goodie (@JohnG00die) August 7, 2014

https://twitter.com/yadlyeled/status/497489048060301312

@PentagonPresSec why don't you intervene to stop these crimes against humanity? This is shameful!

— Peyman Golshani (@pgolshani) August 7, 2014

https://twitter.com/RussCroteau/status/497490633808818176

Maybe it's not an airstrike; maybe we're just dropping really heavy, explosive humanitarian aid and it drifted towards ISIS.

— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) August 7, 2014

https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/497491017038594049

https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/497492360675479553

https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/497492512668663808

@redsteeze OUT: shock & awe
IN: confusion & trending

— Nino (@baldingschemer) August 7, 2014

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional tweets.