American warplanes have struck an Islamic State target southwest of Baghdad as the US stepped up the offensive against the terror group.
The US military said it carried out two airstrikes on Sunday and Monday in support of Iraqi forces being attacked by militant fighters.
The action reflects the expanded mission authorised by President Barack Obama to go on the offensive against the extremists.
Previous strikes had been of a defensive nature, while these were in direct support of Iraqi troops battling the militants.
Aid volunteer Alan Henning (centre right) pictured before he left for Syria The development comes as British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the UK Government was doing all it could to save British hostage Alan Henning, and warned it would not be deterred from its goal of "crushing" the Islamic State fighters behind his abduction.
Mr Henning, an aid convoy volunteer, appeared at the end of an IS video released on Saturday in which fellow UK hostage David Haines was killed, with a threat that he would be next.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Hammond said he understood Mr Henning's family were "going through hell", and that the Government was doing everything possible to protect him.
But he said the SAS had not been sent in to rescue Mr Henning because it was not clear exactly where he was being held.
British hostage David Haines was beheaded by his captors Mr Hammond was speaking after a summit in Paris where world leaders agreed to provide military aid to fight the extremist network.
The meeting of 30 countries agreed to "support the Iraqi government by any means necessary - including military assistance".
Prime Minister David Cameron has said Britain would seek United Nations support for any such plans.
He said the backing would be an important part of the blueprint for dealing with the extremists, who have seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.
It is still unclear whether Britain will join in US airstrikes against IS in Syria, with ministers refusing to rule it out, but insisting no decision had been made.
The PM wants UN backing for plans to fight Islamic State The Government is currently arming Kurdish Peshmerga forces fighting IS in Iraq and providing other support in the country.
Mr Cameron has vowed to hunt down the "monsters" who killed Mr Haines, and said his murder would "strengthen our resolve" to smash the extremist network.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has been urging allies - especially Middle East and Gulf states - to show a united front, and one American official said several Arab countries had offered to join the airstrikes.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei revealed he had received a request from the US to join the fight against IS, but said he had rejected it because of Washington's "unclean intentions".
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