Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Feb. 2, 2018 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria between Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, conducting 41 strikes consisting of 78 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 Feb. 1 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of seven engagements against ISIS targets, destroying three ISIS-held buildings, two tactical vehicles, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, an artillery piece, a weapons cache and damaging two ISIS-held buildings.

On Jan. 31 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of eight engagements against ISIS targets, destroying an artillery piece, a construction vehicle, a fighting position, a mortar tube, a staging facility and a headquarters.

On Jan. 31 Near Shadaddi, Syria, a strike destroyed an ISIS fighting position.

On Jan. 30 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of 18 engagements against ISIS targets, destroying two ISIS supply routes, three ISIS headquarters, a staging facility, an ISIS motorcycle and an artillery piece.

On Jan. 29 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes consisting of seven engagements against ISIS targets, destroying an ISIS construction vehicle, two ISIS-held buildings and a mortar.

On Jan. 28 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted nine strikes consisting of 20 engagements against ISIS targets, destroying three ISIS-held buildings, an unmanned aerial vehicle, three weapons caches, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, an ISIS van and seven pieces of ISIS construction equipment.

On Jan. 27 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of 10 engagements against ISIS targets, destroying four fighting positions, an ISIS-held building and six construction vehicles.

On Jan. 26 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of eight engagements against ISIS targets, destroying a construction vehicle, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, two fighting positions and two ISIS headquarters.

On Jan. 25 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of two engagements against ISIS targets, destroying an ISIS staging area and a fighting position.

Strikes in Iraq

There were no reported strikes conducted in Iraq on Feb. 1, Jan. 31, Jan. 30, Jan. 29, Jan. 28 and Jan. 26, 2018.

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.