December 19, 2015
Release # 20151219-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Dec. 18, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL
terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces
conducted three strikes using attack and fighter aircraft. Separately in
Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 17 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, two strikes destroyed four ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.
* Near Manbij, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.
Iraq
*
Near Fallujah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed
two ISIL vehicles, four ISIL fighting positions, and an ISIL front end
loader. One strike is currently under investigation for a potential
friendly fire incident.
* Near Kirkuk, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL excavator and wounded ISIL fighters.
*
Near Makhmur, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an
ISIL light machine gun and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
* Near
Mosul, six strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and
destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, two ISIL fighting positions,
damaged an ISIL bunker, and suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun and an
ISIL mortar position.
* Near Ramadi, four strikes struck an ISIL
tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive
device (VBIED), an ISIL building, nine ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL
sniper position, an ISIL staging area, and denied ISIL access to
terrain.
* Near Sinjar, three strikes struck three separate ISIL
tactical units and destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns, and two ISIL
fighting positions.
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.