Anti-ISIL Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, December 4, 2015 — 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.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 20 strikes using attack, fighter, bomber, and remotely piloted aircraft:

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, six strikes struck an ISIL gas and oil separation plant.

-- Near Abu Kamal, two strikes struck an ISIL oil field well head.

-- Near Ayn Isa, four strikes struck four ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL vehicle, and wounded an ISIL fighter.

-- Near Mar’a, eight strikes struck seven separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle, four ISIL staging areas, an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle-borne bomb, an ISIL compound, and wounded four ISIL fighters.

Strikes in Iraq

Bomber, fighter, and attack aircraft conducted six strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

-- Near Kisik, one strike suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

-- Near Ramadi, four strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed 14 ISIL heavy machine guns, five ISIL RPGs, an ISIL recoilless rifle, two ISIL anti-air artillery pieces, three ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL sniper positions, three ISIL staging areas, three ISIL bed down locations, two ISIL compounds, an ISIL vehicle-borne bomb, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Mosul, one strike damaged an ISIL vehicle-borne bomb storage location.

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, and the wider international community, The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct operations.

Coalition nations conducting strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.