Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 34 strikes consisting of 42 engagements, 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

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 27 strikes consisting of 34 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed an ISIS vehicle.

-- Near Raqqa, 26 strikes engaged 19 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 35 fighting positions, two vehicles, an ISIS headquarters and an ISIS communication line.

Strikes in Iraq

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

-- Near Huwayjah, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed five pieces of oil equipment, two vehicles, an explosives cache, an ISIS-held building and a vehicle bomb factory.

-- Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed three ISIS unmanned aerial system launch platforms and suppressed a mortar team and an artillery system.

-- Near Tal Afar, two strikes destroyed an ISIS weapons cache and a mortar system, and suppressed two mortar teams.

Aug. 9-10 Strikes

Additionally, 17 strikes consisting of 19 engagements were conducted in Syria and Iraq on Aug. 9-10 that closed within the last 24 hours:

-- On Aug. 9, near Raqqa, Syria, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions.

-- On Aug. 10, near Raqqa, Syria, 11 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units and destroyed seven fighting positions, a mortar system, a logistics node and a command-and-control node.

-- On Aug. 10, near Rawah, Iraq, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

-- On Aug. 10, near Tal Afar, Iraq, three strikes destroyed a vehicle bomb and suppressed two ISIS tactical units.

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.