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Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

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

U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.
Operation Inherent Resolve - Targeted Operations Against ISIS Terrorists
U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.
Photo By: DoD Graphic
VIRIN: 170113-D-ZZ999-001

Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack and fighter aircraft conducted 15 strikes consisting of 19 engagements in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed four oil pumpjacks.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, four strikes destroyed four oil refinement stills, two oil tanker trucks, an oil wellhead and an ISIS headquarters.

-- Near Shadaddi, four strikes engaged an ISIS staging area, destroyed an ISIS headquarters and a weapons facility; and damaged four supply routes.

-- Near Raqqa, five strikes destroyed three tunnels, an oil pumpjack and an oil wellhead.

Strikes in Iraq

Artillery as well as attack, bomber, fighter aircraft conducted nine strikes consisting of 16 engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

-- Near Mosul, eight strikes destroyed four weapons caches, two vehicle-bomb facilities and an improvised bomb facility; and damaged three supply routes.

-- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed a bunker.

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, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIS' ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

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

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