Operation Inherent Resolve Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, January 24, 2016 — 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

Fighter, attack, ground-attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted seven strikes in Syria:

-- Near Ayn Isa, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL structures and an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Hasakah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL building and an ISIL weapons cache.

-- Near Hawl, two strikes destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Raqqah, one strike struck an ISIL weapons storage area.

-- Near Mara, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL heavy machine gun and two ISIL fighting positions.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, ground-attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 16 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

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

-- Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed seven ISIL assembly areas.

-- Near Mosul, three strikes struck two ISIL tactical units, destroying five ISIL fighting positions and denying ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Ramadi, six strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, destroying four ISIL staging areas, an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL fuel tank and denying ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed four ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL staging area.

-- Near Tal Afar, one strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Beiji, one strike destroyed an ISIL petroleum, oil and lubricant cache.

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.

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