Danish warplanes carried out airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria for the first time, top Danish military officials said Aug. 5, AP reported. Denmark has been part of the international coalition against the militant group since late 2014, but until this week, it had participated in operations over only Iraq. Officials said the strikes in Raqqa province, where the Islamic State's self-declared capital is located, had taken place within the past week. They did not, however, give a specific date. The Islamic State, facing punishing airstrikes and offensives on multiple fronts , is losing much of the territory it once controlled in Iraq and Syria.