WASHINGTON: The US and its allies have carried out 26 air strikes in Iraq and eight in Syria since Saturday in continued attacks on Islamic State targets, the US military said on Sunday.

The bulk of the strikes were near Kirkuk, while in Syria most of the strikes were near Kobani, said a statement by the US Combined Joint Task Force.

The targets included a factory where militants reportedly made car bombs in Tal Afar in addition to “large ISIL units near Kirkuk,” Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS Brett McGurk said in a tweet.

Earlier, McGurk confirmed the death of Abu Maliki, a chemical weapons specialist with IS in Iraq.