U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq 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
Bomber, ground-attack, attack and fighter aircraft conducted eight strikes in Syria:
-- Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed two ISIL pump jacks, two ISIL oil tanker trucks, two ISIL oil tanks and two ISIL wellheads.
-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed six ISIL oil tanker trucks and two ISIL wellheads.
-- Near Manbij, four strikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL tactical vehicle and suppressed two ISIL tactical units.
Strikes in Iraq
Bomber and fighter aircraft conducted six strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
-- Near Albu Hayat, a strike destroyed two ISIL communication towers.
-- Near Mosul, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, an ISIL finance storage center, and an ISIL finance distribution center and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicle bombs, two ISIL mortar systems, four ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL tunnel and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit and denied ISIL access to terrain.
-- Near Sinjar, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
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 ISIL 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 ISIL 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 ISIL 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 ISIL's 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, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.