An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Military Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.

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, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 13 strikes in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed seven oil tanker trucks.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes destroyed seven ISIL oil well heads and damaged two supply routes.

-- Near Manbij, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, two weapons caches and a mortar system.

-- Near Mara, three strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle bomb, a vehicle and a heavy machine gun.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft as well as rocket artillery conducted 14 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

-- Near Huwayjah, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed a watercraft, two vehicles and a vehicle bomb. A vehicle was damaged.

-- Near Kisik, a strike destroyed an ISIL watercraft.

-- Near Mosul, six strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units, destroying two vehicles, two tunnels and an anti-air artillery system. Four ISIL fighting positions were damaged.

-- Near Ramadi, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three vehicles, a heavy machine gun and an anti-air artillery system.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, four strikes destroyed three ISIL headquarters buildings, a weapons cache and a mortar 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 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.

Related Stories