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Press Release | Dec. 18, 2015

Dec. 18: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq

December 18, 2015
Release # 20151218-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Dec. 17, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes using attack aircraft. Separately in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 19 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, and bomber aircraft against ISIL targets.

The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria
* Near Ayn Isa, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.
* Near Manbij, two strikes destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq
* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Fallujah, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL heavy machine guns, four ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL mortar position, two ISIL command and control nodes, an ISIL-used bridge, cratered an ISIL-used road, and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Kisik, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL light machine guns, two ISIL fighting positions, and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
* Near Mosul, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicles, and two ISIL assembly areas.
* Near Ramadi, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, six ISIL staging areas, and an ISIL building.
* Near Sinjar, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL vehicles, two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL light machine guns, two ISIL excavators, an ISIL fighting position, and suppressed an ISIL light machine gun position.
* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed five ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL communications tower.

Additionally, there was an unreported strike on Dec. 15:

* Near Fallujah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL buildings, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

Strike assessments are based on initial reports. All aircraft returned to base safely.

A strike, as defined in the CJTF releases, means one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative effect for that location. So having a single aircraft deliver a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of buildings and vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making that facility (or facilities) harder or impossible to use. Accordingly, CJTF-OIR 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.

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct operations. Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Iraq include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Syria include Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.