Coalition air forces conducted an air strike against a terrorist safe house in the vicinity of Husaybah, Iraq, shortly after 1 a.m. on Sept. 8—targeting Abu Mohammed, a known bomb-maker and cell leader. Mohammed had been linked to other al Qaeda terrorists and foreign fighters in Husaybah and the western Euphrates River Valley. On Sept. 7, USAF F-16s performed a strike in the vicinity of Al Qaim, Iraq—expending two GBU-38s against anti-Iraqi forces.
Fresh off its most ambitious test yet of an autonomous cargo plane, the Air Force is preparing to go even bigger by deploying and operating another such aircraft for an entire year.