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Officials Provide Details of Latest Counter-ISIS Strikes 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.

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

Strikes in Syria

Coalition military forces conducted 17 strikes consisting of 23 engagements against ISIS targets in Syria.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed four ISIS well heads.

-- Near Raqqa, 15 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, three ISIS headquarters, an ISIS staging area and a vehicle bomb.

Strikes in Iraq

Coalition military forces conducted eight strikes consisting of 46 engagements against ISIS targets in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Qaim, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS vehicle.

-- Near Rutbah, a strike destroyed a vehicle bomb.

-- Near Mosul, six strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units, damaged an ISIS staging area, suppressed two ISIS tactical units and two mortar teams, and destroyed 17 fighting positions, six heavy machine guns, four rocket-propelled grenade systems, three mortar systems, three vehicle bombs, a vehicle, and a medium machine gun.

 

Additionally, two strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on May 26 that closed within the last 24 hours.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria, a strike destroyed 10 ISIS oil separators and an ISIS well head.

-- Near Mosul, Iraq, a strike engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two medium machine guns.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These 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.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect. For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is a strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does 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.

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