Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Sept. 20, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 44 strikes consisting of 50 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Operation Inherent resolve

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

Strikes in Syria

Near Raqqa, coalition military forces conducted 30 strikes consisting of 32 engagements against ISIS targets. The strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units and destroyed 28 fighting positions, three vehicles, two ISIS communications infrastructure items and an ISIS headquarters.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes consisting of 18 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Qaim, two strikes destroyed an ISIS headquarters and a weapons storage area.

-- Near Huwijah, five strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed three tunnels, two ISIS headquarters, two command-and-control nodes, a vehicle, a tractor, and a vehicle-borne improvised bomb facility; and damaged two supply routes.

-- Near Rawah, seven strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two mortar systems, two weapons caches, an improvised explosive device, a staging area, and a vehicle.

Additional Strikes

Additionally, 51 strikes consisting of 53 engagements were conducted in Syria and Iraq on Sept. 17-18 that closed within the last 24 hours for which the information was not available in time for yesterday’s report:

-- On Sept. 17, near Raqqa, Syria, three strikes destroyed seven fighting positions.

-- On Sept. 18, near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and damaged three supply routes.

-- On Sept. 18, near Raqqa, Syria, 42 strikes engaged 23 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 23 fighting positions, eight vehicles, three VBIEDs, two ISIS unmanned aerial systems, and a command-and-control node; and suppressed four fighting positions.

-- On Sept. 18, near Huwayjah, Iraq, two strikes illuminated tactical areas.

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.