The Pentagon said yesterday that US and coalition aircraft have flown some 6,600 sorties against Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria and conducted 623 airstrikes, of which 553 were carried out by the US and the other 70 by nine other nations; US officials warned that Iraqi forces will not be ready for months to conduct a counteroffensive against the Islamic State. The New York City Police Department urged increased vigilance after Zale Thompson, a Muslim convert who had ranted against the US and Christians and advocated violent jihad on social media, used a hatchet to attack a group of four NYC policemen yesterday, injuring two. Thompson was shot dead at the scene; authorities are investigating alleged Islamist links. The top US military official in Korea said he believes North Korea is now capable of producing a miniaturized nuclear device for a missile warhead.
