Coalition, Iraqi Artillery Support Operation Roundup

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- South of Sinjar, Iraq, near the Syrian border, Iraqi and coalition troops lived and worked side by side for more than a month as they shelled Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terrorists in Syria.

Iraqi and coalition artillery units established Fire Support Base Um Jorais, a temporary artillery position, June 1 to support ground forces in Operation Roundup, the campaign to accelerate the defeat of ISIS remnants.

Troops at “FB UJ” provided vital fire support to ground forces engaging ISIS as Iraqi security forces tightened border security, preventing desperate terrorists from fleeing the battlefield. Iraqi air force F-16 fighters concurrently supported operations with cross-border strikes on ISIS targets in Syria. As part of its defeat-ISIS mission in Iraq and Syria, the coalition and its partners position assets in response to changing conditions on the battlefield, allowing them to achieve the best possible effects, officials said.

Iraqi troops began moving guns out of Fire Support Base Um Jorais on July 4 in a phased withdrawal. Coalition artillery and support functions followed, enabling clearance of the position after 34 days of combined operations.

The coalition is committed to working by, with and through partner forces to achieve the lasting defeat of ISIS and helping to set the conditions for stabilization operations in Iraq and Syria, task force officials said.