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Military Strikes Target ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

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U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve. DoD Graphic
Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve logo
Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve. DoD graphic
Photo By: Defense Department
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Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted 15 strikes consisting of 15 engagements in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed 27 oil barrels, 11 oil storage tanks and two oil tanker trucks.

-- Near Palmyra, a strike destroyed an anti-air artillery system.

-- Near Raqqa, 13 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units; destroyed eight fighting positions and a vehicle and damaged four supply routes.

Strikes in Iraq

Artillery as well as attack, fighter and rotary wing aircraft conducted two strikes consisting of 22 engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

-- Near Mosul, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and a staging area; destroyed eight watercraft, three barges, three vehicles, a tunnel entrance, a mortar system and a weapons facility; and suppressed four mortar teams.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIS to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIS terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

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