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.

Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit 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 Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function.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.

Operation Inherent Resolve - Targeted Operations Against ISIL Terrorists
Operation Inherent Resolve
Operation Inherent Resolve - Targeted Operations Against ISIL Terrorists
Photo By: DoD Graphic
VIRIN: 160401-D-XT155-002

Strikes in Syria

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 10 strikes in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed five ISIL oil tanker trucks and two oil well heads.

-- Near Ayn Isa, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed nine oil well heads and an oil tanker truck.

-- Near Manbij, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions and a tank.

-- Near Mara, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions and a mortar system.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter, remotely piloted aircraft as well as rocket artillery conducted 17 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

-- Near Huwayjah, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units.

-- Near Haditha, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL-held building.

-- Near Hit, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and a staging area and destroyed three ISIL-held buildings.

-- Near Kisik, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle, a tunnel and a watercraft.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units, destroying two weapon caches, two fighting positions and two tunnels. A mortar system was suppressed.

-- Near Qayyarah, four strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three rocket rails, three vehicles, two mortar systems, a rocket system, a fighting position and a weapons cache.

-- Near Ramadi, a strike destroyed two ISIL machine guns.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL-held building.

-- Near Tal Afar, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

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