Islamic State jihadis have killed 'at least 500' Yazidis and buried them in mass grave, says minister as U.S. continues air strikes

 

 Islamic State jihadis have killed 'at least 500' Yazidis and buried them in mass grave, it has been claimed.
Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Iraq's human rights minister, said the Sunni militants had also buried alive some of their victims, including women and children.
Some 300 women were kidnapped as slaves, he added.
 It comes as the United States carried out new air strikes and aid drops as President Barack Obama vowed to help rescue thousands of civilians besieged by jihadists on an Iraqi mountain.
Obama gave no timetable for the first U.S. operation in Iraq since the last American troops withdrew three years ago and put the onus on Iraqi politicians to form an inclusive government and turn the tide on jihadist expansion.

U.S. forces hit out on the campaign's second day to protect members of the Yazidi minority, many of whom have been stranded on Mount Sinjar since they fled IS attacks on their homes a week ago.
U.S. forces 'successfully (conducted) four airstrikes to defend Yazidi civilians being indiscriminately attacked' near Sinjar, the United States Central Command, which covers the Middle East, said in a statement.

U.S. army soldiers palletise water. The humanitarian aid includes bottled water and food which was delivered to displaced citizens in the area of Sinjar, Iraq

Unconventional rescue: Kurdish peshmerga used all manner of vehicles to evacuate stranded Yazidi

Escape: Refugees also piled on to a tractor yesterday as they were carried to safety

Slow and steady: One woman used a donkey to navigate the route to safety - many went on foot