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Counter-ISIL Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq

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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.

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

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

Strikes in Syria

Attack and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted eight strikes in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike engaged an ISIL supply route.

-- Near Raqqah, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an oil pumpjack and a vehicle. 

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed two ISIL oil wellheads and an oil tanker truck. 

-- Near Idlib, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed five vehicles and two fighting positions.

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

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 12 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Bashir, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit, destroyed an ISIL headquarters building and a tunnel entrance, and suppressed two mortar systems.

-- Near Haditha, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle and a weapons cache.

-- Near Mosul, seven strikes engaged two tactical units; destroyed an ISIL headquarters building, five storage containers, two mortar systems, two fighting positions, an improvised explosive device factory, a supply cache, a sniper position, an observation post and a culvert; and damaged two tunnels, a bridge and a supply route.

-- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb factory.

-- Near Sinjar, a strike suppressed an ISIL 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 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.

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