Counter-ISIL Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq

[Editor's Note: A previous version of this story mistakenly duplicated the previous day's information.] 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 yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack and fighter aircraft conducted five strikes in Syria:

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed six ISIL cranes and two ISIL road graders.

-- Near Manbij, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 13 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL mortar systems, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL command and control node, and three ISIL boats.

Strikes in Iraq

Coalition military forces conducted 19 strikes in Iraq, using rocket artillery and bomber, ground-attack, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Baghdadi, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Huwayjah, a strike suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Bashir, a strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Fallujah, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, damaged an ISIL fighting position, denied ISIL access to terrain, and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL vehicle, two ISIL tactical vehicles, an ISIL front-end loader, an ISIL improvised bomb, two ISIL tunnel entrances and three ISIL-used foot bridges.

-- Near Habbaniyah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Hit, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL boats, and an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Kisik, a strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Mosul, eight strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL weapons storage center; damaged an ISIL anti-air artillery piece; suppressed an ISIL rocket position and an ISIL tactical unit; denied ISIL access to terrain; and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, six ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL tunnel entrance, seven ISIL weapons caches, five ISIL vehicles, five ISIL command and control nodes, 11 ISIL mortar positions, six ISIL artillery pieces, two ISIL rocket rails and seven ISIL vehicle bombs.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit; suppressed an ISIL machine gun position; and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL headquarters, and an ISIL mortar position.

Additionally, on May 28, a strike in Iraq was not reported due to an administrative error:

-- Near Hit, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL fighting positions, and an ISIL boat.

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 a 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, 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.