Strikes Continue in Effort to Defeat ISIS in Syria, Iraq

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Oct. 31, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting eight strikes consisting of 14 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

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

Strikes in Syria

Coalition military forces conducted four strikes consisting of four engagements against ISIS targets in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units, destroying a vehicle and an ISIS headquarters.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units.

Strikes in Iraq

Coalition military forces conducted four strikes consisting of 10 engagements against ISIS targets near Qaim, Iraq. The strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed an ISIS vehicle, a staging site and a mortar firing position and damaged 13 ISIS supply routes.

Previous Strikes

Officials also provided details today on two Oct. 29 strikes consisting of four engagements in Syria for which the information was not previously available:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and damaged an ISIS headquarters.

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

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.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions Delivers Statement on the Apprehension of Mustafa Al-Imam for His Role in 2012 Attack in Benghazi, Libya

Attorney General Jeff Sessions released the following statement regarding the arrest of Mustafa al-Imam for his role in the September 2012 attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya:

 “The murder of four Americans in Benghazi on September 11, 2012 was a barbaric crime that shocked the American people. We will never forget those we lost – Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Ambassador Christopher Stevens – four brave Americans who gave their lives in service to our nation.  We owe it to them and their families to bring their murderers to justice. Today the Department of Justice announces a major step forward in our ongoing investigation as Mustafa al-Imam is now in custody and will face justice in federal court for his role in the attack.  I am grateful to the FBI, our partners in the intelligence community, and the Department of Defense who made this apprehension possible. The United States will continue to investigate and identify all those who were involved in the attack – and we will hold them accountable for their crimes.”

Officials Provide Details of Latest Strikes Against ISIS

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Oct. 30, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 11 strikes consisting of 17 engagements in recent days, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the most recent strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of 10 engagements against ISIS targets Oct. 28 and yesterday:

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr on Oct. 28, a strike damaged two ISIS lines of communication.

-- Near Abu Kamal yesterday, three strikes destroyed two ISIS staging areas and an ISIS-held building.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr yesterday, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed three ISIS tactical vehicles and two heavy weapons:

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq in recent days, coalition military forces conducted four strikes consisting of six engagements against ISIS targets near Qaim:

-- On Oct. 27, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS fighting position.

-- Yesterday, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three supply routes, two command-and-control nodes, an ISIS weapons cache and a vehicle-borne-bomb factory.

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.