Coalition Strikes Target ISIL in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release.

SOUTHWEST ASIA –-(Ammoland.com)- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria 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 21 strikes in 25 engagements in Syria:

— Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIL tanker truck, two oil stills and three oil storage tanks.

— Near Ayn Isa, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.

— Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed an ISIL pump jack and an oil wellhead.

— Near Idlib, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

— Near Palmyra, a strike destroyed an ISIL tank.

— Near Raqqa, 15 strikes engaged five ISIL tactical units; destroyed 11 oil tanker trucks, three oil storage tanks, three tunnels, two fighting positions, two oil pumpjacks, a vehicle and a command and control node; and damaged three supply routes.

Strikes in Iraq

Bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 11 strikes in 38 engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

— Near Beiji, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

— Near Haditha, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.

— Near Huwayjah, a strike destroyed an improvised explosive device factory.

— Near Kirkuk, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb.

— Near Mosul, five strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit; destroyed three watercraft, a vehicle bomb, a barge, a vehicle, an unmanned aircraft and an artillery system; and damaged 18 supply routes.

— Near Qaim, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

— Near Rawah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle and a mortar system

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