U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to
attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq,
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.
Airstrikes
in Syria
Bomber and remotely piloted aircraft conducted three airstrikes
in Syria:
-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed an ISIL
excavator and three ISIL bulldozers and damaged an additional ISIL bulldozer.
-- Near Hawl, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical
unit, destroyed an ISIL checkpoint and wounded an ISIL fighter.
Airstrikes
in Iraq
Bomber, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted
12 airstrikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:
-- Near Albu Hayat, a strike struck an ISIL tactical
unit.
-- Near Fallujah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical
unit and destroyed an ISIL rocket rail and two ISIL defensive fighting
positions.
-- Near Habbaniyah, a strike destroyed an ISIL
defensive fighting position.
-- Near Mosul, a strike denied ISIL access to
terrain.
-- Near Qayyarah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical
unit and wounded an ISIL fighter.
-- Near Ramadi, five strikes struck an ISIL tactical
unit and destroyed an ISIL indirect fire site, two ISIL tactical vehicles, an
ISIL recoilless rifle, an ISIL vehicle, three ISIL buildings, three ISIL
anti-air artillery sites, an ISIL tunnel system, and two ISIL weapons caches.
-- Near Sinjar, two strikes struck two ISIL tactical
units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL vehicle.
Definition
of a ‘Strike’
A strike, as defined in the CJTF releases, means one
or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to
produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect for that location.
So, the officials said, having a single aircraft
deliver a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike. Multiple
aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of buildings, vehicles
and weapon systems in a compound, with the cumulative effect of making that
facility [or facilities] harder or impossible to use is also considered a
single strike, task force officials said.
Accordingly, CJTF-OIR does not report the number or
type of aircraft employed in each strike, the number of munitions dropped in
each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a
target.
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, the region, 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 conducting airstrikes in Iraq
include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan,
Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in
Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan,
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.