10 US airstrikes in 48 hours

In a press release just published by US Central Command, Washington claims to have destroyed or damaged at least a dozen pieces of heavy weaponry being used by Islamic State militants.

According to the statement, 10 airstrikes were carried out on Thursday and Friday, seven of which were in Iraq.

Washington says that the strikes destroyed four IS tanks and five armed vehicles as well as other vehicles and infrastructure including a bunker and a guard shack.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Friday that the US is spending "$7-$10m a day" on the operation.

The money is coming from the Overseas Contingency Operations Fund, which was called the Global War on Terror Fund until a 2009 decision to rebrand it.

Although strikes are successfully targeting IS infrastructure, according to Washington, activists claim that they are doing little to stem the flow of new fighters into the organisation.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday that 200 new fighters have joined the group since US President Barack Obama announced that there would be airstrikes against the group in Syria.