Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, December 18, 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

Attack aircraft conducted three strikes in Syria:

-- Near Ayn Isa, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Manbij, two strikes destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted 19 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Baghdadi, a strike denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Fallujah, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, cratered an ISIL-used road, denied ISIL access to terrain and destroyed three ISIL heavy machine guns, four ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL mortar position, two ISIL command and control nodes, and an ISIL-used bridge.

-- Near Kisik, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL light machine guns, two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL heavy machine gun.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicles and two ISIL assembly areas.

-- Near Ramadi, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, six ISIL staging areas and an ISIL building.

-- Near Sinjar, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, suppressed an ISIL light machine gun position and destroyed four ISIL vehicles, two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL light machine guns, two ISIL excavators, and an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed five ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL communications tower.

Additionally, there was an unreported strike on Dec. 15:

-- Near Fallujah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit, denied ISIL access to terrain and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and two ISIL buildings.

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.

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 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, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.