Strikes Target ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Dec. 29, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria between Dec. 22 and yesterday, conducting 46 strikes consisting of 93 engagements, 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

On Dec. 28 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted nine strikes consisting of 17 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, eight strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units and destroyed an ISIS-held building and a staging area.

-- Near Shadaddi, a strike destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle.

On Dec. 27 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes consisting of 22 engagements against ISIS targets, destroying three ISIS vehicles, a heavy machine gun, an ISIS line of communication and a logistics center.

On Dec. 26 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of 11 engagements against ISIS targets, destroying an ISIS logistics center and a fighting position.

On Dec. 25 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of five engagements against ISIS targets, destroying an ISIS headquarters.

On Dec. 24 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted four strikes consisting of six engagements against ISIS targets, destroying a heavy machine gun and three ISIS vehicles.

On Dec. 23 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted four strikes consisting of five engagements against ISIS targets, destroying a UAV, an explosive hazard, an ISIS line of communication and a heavy weapon.

On Dec. 22 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of 10 engagements against ISIS targets, destroying a heavy machine gun, an ISIS vehicle, an ISIS line of communication and an explosive hazard.

Strikes in Iraq

On Dec. 28 near Jalula in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of four engagements against ISIS targets, destroying an ISIS cave entrance.

On Dec. 27 near Rutbah in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of four engagements against ISIS targets, destroying an ISIS vehicle and an ISIS shelter.

On Dec. 26 near Asad in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets, destroying an ISIS tunnel.

There were no reported strikes conducted in Iraq on Dec. 25, 2017.

On Dec. 24 near Huwayjah in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of two engagements against ISIS targets, destroying two ISIS fighting positions and a cave.

On Dec. 23 near Huwayjah in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of two engagements against ISIS targets, destroying four ISIS tunnel entrances.

On Dec. 22 near Mosul in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of four engagements against ISIS targets, destroying an ISIS command-and-control center.

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.