Officials Release Details of Latest Strikes Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Sept. 1, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 30 strikes consisting of 52 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 22 strikes consisting of 38 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, five strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed six fuel trucks, five tactical vehicles, a vehicle, an ISIS tank, a staging area and an oil still.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units, destroyed five tactical vehicles and a machine gun and damaged a bridge.

-- Near Raqqa, 15 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 10 fighting positions, three logistics nodes, two vehicles and a command-and-control node.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of 25 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Huwayjah, two strikes destroyed five ISIS oil stills and an ISIS-held building.

-- Near Qaim, three strikes destroyed four ISIS front-end loaders, two semi-trailers, two semi-trucks, an excavator and a crane.

-- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed an ISIS front-end loader.

-- Near Tal Afar, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit, damaged four fighting positions and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

Previous Strikes

Additionally, 28 strikes consisting of 37 engagements were conducted in Syria and Iraq on June 18 and Aug. 30 that closed within the last 24 hours:

-- On June 18, near Raqqa, Syria, eight strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed eight fighting positions.

-- On Aug. 30, near Abu Kamal, Syria, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three tactical vehicles, two ISIS-held buildings, a front-end loader, a vehicle and a staging area.

-- On Aug. 30, near Raqqa, Syria, 18 strikes engaged nine ISIS tactical units and destroyed nine fighting positions, two command-and-control nodes and a heavy machine gun.

-- On Aug. 30, near Tal Afar, Iraq, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a medium machine gun 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.