Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq Against ISIS Terrorists

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Sept. 12, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 41 strikes consisting of 50 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 38 strikes consisting of 42 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, seven strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and destroyed two vehicles, a tactical vehicle, a vehicle-borne bomb and a fighting position.

-- Near Raqqa, 31 strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed 24 fighting positions, 17 vehicles, three logistics nodes, an ISIS headquarters, an improvised explosive device and a command-and-control node.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted three strikes consisting of eight engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Beiji, a strike destroyed four ISIS tunnel entrances.

-- Near Huwayjah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a command-and-control node and four tunnels.

-- Near Rawah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two ISIS-held buildings.

Previous Strikes

Additionally, 15 strikes consisting of 21 engagements were conducted in Syria and Iraq on Sept. 10 that closed within the last 24 hours.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

-- Near Raqqa, Syria, 11 strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units; destroyed 14 vehicles, three fighting positions, a logistics node and an anti-air artillery system; and suppressed a fighting position.

-- Near Huwayjah, Iraq, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two vehicles and an ISIS headquarters.

-- Near Rawah, Iraq, a strike destroyed three ISIS-held buildings.

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.