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
Attack and fighter aircraft conducted seven strikes in Syria:
-- Near Raqqah, two strikes destroyed two ISIL oil pumpjacks, an oil tank and a headquarters building.
-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed 13 ISIL oil tanker trucks and a tractor trailer.
-- Near Manbij, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.
Strikes in Iraq
Bomber, fighter, and attack aircraft conducted seven strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
-- Near Beiji, a strike destroyed an ISIL rocket rail and a cave entrance.
-- Near Kisik, a strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, two tunnel entrances, an observation post and a rocket firing position.
-- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed an assembly area, a fighting position, a vehicle and a headquarters building.
-- Near Ramadi, a strike destroyed a rocket system.
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 Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.