LONDON - A British military plane was forced to abort a mission to deliver humanitarian supplies to refugees trapped on a mountain in northern Iraq over fears the falling aid packages could hit crowds below, Britain said on Monday.
"So many people were coming towards the plane that unfortunately we weren't able to carry out that aid drop because we were concerned that we could have put lives at risk," a spokeswoman for British Prime Minister David Cameron told reporters.
Islamic State fighters in Iraq, who have beheaded and crucified captives in their drive to eradicate non-believers, have driven thousands of people from the Yazidi religious sect into the arid Sinjar mountain range in the heat of mid-summer.Britain has so far delivered one aid drop to the mountain comprising water, filtration kits and solar powered lanterns that double as mobile phone chargers.