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Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq

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U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 21 strikes consisting of 26 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.
Operation Inherent Resolve - Targeted Operations Against ISIS Terrorists
U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.
Photo By: DoD Graphic
VIRIN: 170113-D-ZZ999-001

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

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 16 strikes consisting of 19 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed five oil stills, two vehicles, and an improvised-bomb facility.

-- Near Shadaddi, a strike destroyed an ISIS weapon cache.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed a ISIS financial headquarters.

-- Near Raqqa, 11 strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, a mortar system, a vehicle, a vehicle-borne bomb and a supply route.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of seven engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Kirkuk, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

-- Near Kisik, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a command-and-control node, a vehicle, an artillery system and a recoilless rifle.

-- Near Tal Afar, two strikes destroyed three ISIS fighting positions, an improvised-bomb facility and a weapons cache.

Other Recent Strikes

Officials also provided details today on 40 other recent strikes consisting of 48 engagements for which the information was unavailable in time to be included in previous reports.

-- On Aug. 1 near Raqqa, 17 strikes engaged 13 ISIS tactical units, destroyed two staging areas and an ISIS headquarters, and damaged a vehicle-borne-bomb factory.

-- On Aug. 2 near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed an ISIS improvised-bomb factory and two oil stills.

-- On Aug. 2 near Raqqa, 20 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, two supply caches, a tactical vehicle, a tunnel, a vehicle-borne-bomb  factory and a command-and-control node.

-- On Aug. 2 near Kisik, a strike illuminated an area.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said. 

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does 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.

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