Officials Provide Details of Latest Strikes Against ISIS

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 28, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 35 strikes consisting of 42 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 34 strikes consisting of 41 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed seven ISIS oil stills.

-- Near Hawl, four strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle, a mortar system and a fighting position.

-- Near Raqqa, 29 strikes engaged 13 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 19 fighting positions, five logistics nodes, three vehicles, three ISIS headquarters, two vehicle bombs and two command-and-control nodes.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike near Tal Afar that engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three fighting positions.

Additional Strikes

Additionally, 39 strikes consisting of 46 engagements were conducted in Syria and Iraq on May 26, June 11, June 17, July 24, Aug. 22 and Aug. 25-26 that closed within the last 24 hours:

-- On May 26, near Raqqa, Syria, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

-- On June 11, near Raqqa, Syria, a strike destroyed two fighting positions.

-- On June 17, near Raqqa, Syria, four strikes destroyed nine fighting positions and an explosives facility.

-- On July 24, near Raqqa, Syria, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions.

-- On Aug. 22, near Raqqa, Syria, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.

-- On Aug. 25, near Raqqa, Syria, four strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed a command-and-control node and two fighting positions.

-- On Aug. 26, near Huwayjah, Iraq, a strike destroyed eight ISIS oil stills.

-- On Aug. 26, near Shadaddi, Syria, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two fighting positions.

-- On Aug. 26, near Raqqa, Syria, 22 strikes engaged 15 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 21 fighting positions.

-- On Aug. 26, near Tal Afar, Iraq, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two medium machine guns, two vehicle bombs, two command-and control-nodes, a weapons cache and a fighting position.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does 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.