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Press Release | Feb. 20, 2017

February 20: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq

CJTFOIR

February 20, 2017
Release # 20170220-02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Feb. 19, Coalition military forces conducted 29 strikes consisting of 92 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 16 strikes consisting of 29 engagements against ISIS targets.

* Near Al Bab, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

* Near Al Shadaddi, three strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions and a vehicle.

* Near Ar Raqqah, eight strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed two ISIS headquarters, a vehicle, a command and control node, a VBIED, a VBIED facility, an artillery system, and a tunnel.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed seven oil wellheads.

* Near Palmyra, one strike destroyed an anti-air artillery system.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 13 strikes consisting of 63 engagements coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq against ISIS targets.

* Near Haditha, one strike destroyed five connexes.

* Near Huwayjah, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

* Near Mosul, six strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and two ISIS staging areas; destroyed five mortar systems, four vehicles, three supply caches, three artillery systems, two command and control nodes, an ISIS headquarters, an IED facility, a heavy machine gun, a logistics node and a fighting position; damaged 15 supply routes; and suppressed nine mortar teams and an artillery team.

* Near Rawah, two strikes destroyed two VBIED facilities and an ISIS-held building.

* Near Taji, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

* Near Tal Afar, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS-held building and an excavator.

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.

This Coalition strike release 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.  Ground-based artillery fired in counter-fire or in fire support to maneuver roles are not classified as a strike as defined by CJTF-OIR.

A strike, as defined in the Coalition release, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative effect in that location.  For example, 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.

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 information used to compile the daily strike releases is based on 'Z' or Greenwich Mean Time.