Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Dec. 1, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 19 strikes consisting of 24 engagements between Nov. 27 and yesterday, 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

Yesterday near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted five strikes that engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed an ISIS fighting position, a tactical vehicle and an explosive hazard.

On Nov. 29 near Abu Kamal, coalition military forces conducted three strikes that engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a tactical vehicle, two ISIS watercraft, a heavy weapon, five ISIS vehicles and four supply routes.

On Nov. 28 near Abu Kamal, coalition military forces conducted five strikes that engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed three ISIS watercraft, an ISIS barge, a weapons cache and 11 ISIS vehicles.

On Nov. 27 near Abu Kamal, coalition military forces conducted three strikes that engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed a tactical vehicle, two ISIS watercraft, a rocket system and five ISIS vehicles.

Strikes in Iraq

Yesterday in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of two engagements against ISIS targets.

-- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed an ISIS construction vehicle.

-- Near Rutbah, a strike destroyed an ISIS bunker.

There were no reported strikes conducted in Iraq on Nov. 29.

On Nov. 28 near Qaim in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike that destroyed an ISIS fighting position.

There were no reported strikes conducted in Iraq on Nov. 27.

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.