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 the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Strikes in Syria
Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 17 strikes in Syria:
-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed five ISIL supply routes.
-- Near Shadaddi, four strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed five vehicles and a vehicle bomb.
-- Near Raqqah, four strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle, seven supply routes and an oil wellhead.
-- Near Dayz Ar Zawr, three strikes destroyed four ISIL oil tanker trucks, an oil tanker trailer, five vehicles and an oil wellhead.
-- Near Mara, five strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions and three mortar systems and damaged another mortar system.
In addition, due to a delayed strike assessment two strikes near Dayz Ar Zawr that were conducted on Sept. 11 were not reported on the Sept. 12 strike release. The correct assessment reads:
-- Near Dayz Ar Zawr, two strikes destroyed four ISIL supply routes.
Strikes in Iraq
Attack and fighter aircraft conducted three strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
-- Near Mosul, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed a vehicle, two tunnel entrances and four assembly areas.
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 they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group'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, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.