The United States earlier this week launched more air strikes to help Iraqi and Sunni forces protect Haditha Dam from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Haditha Dam and its 660 MW hydroelectric project — located along Euphrates River in western Iraq — are key pieces of infrastructure both for energy production and water supply. Both the power plant and the reservoir impounded by the dam are the country’s second largest.
“If that dam would be destroyed, the damage that it would cause would be very significant and it would put a significant additional and big risk into the mix in Iraq,” U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said. “The dam is a critically important facility for Iraq.”
The airstrikes — which included American attack, fighter and drone aircraft — began Monday and continued through Tuesday, destroying a number of armed vehicles and anti-aircraft artillery near Haditha Dam.
“We conducted these strikes to prevent terrorists from further threatening the security of the dam, which remains under control of Iraqi Security Forces with support from Sunni Tribes,” Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement.
The Islamic State (also known as ISIS and ISIL) first began its attempt to take over Haditha Dam last month, but Iraqi and Sunni forces were able to repel them.
ISIS staged a similar attack on Iraq’s 750-MW Mosul hydropower plant and dam in early August before seizing control of the structure later the same week. Iraqi and Kurdish forces regained control of Mosul Dam about 10 days later with U.S. air support.
The Pentagon said it has since ordered more than 130 airstrikes in Iraq since early August, with additional attacks against ISIS forces who remain near Mosul Dam.