February 26: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq

February 26, 2017
Release # 20170226-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Feb. 25, Coalition military forces conducted 41 strikes consisting of 108 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 18 strikes consisting of 24 engagements against ISIS targets.

* Near Al Shadaddi, one strike destroyed a VBIED.

* Near Ar Raqqah, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle, a tactical vehicle and a mortar system.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, seven strikes destroyed six well heads, an oil tanker truck and a front-end loader.

* Near Palmyra, seven strikes engaged two ISIS staging areas and an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed five storage units, three tanks, two vehicles, an oil storage tank, a pump jack and an ISIS-held building; and damaged two oil storage tanks.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 23 strikes consisting of 84 engagements coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq against ISIS targets.

* Near Al Huwayjah, one strike destroyed an ISIS headquarters.

* Near Bayji, seven strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed five vehicles, two ISIS compounds and a tunnel entrance.

* Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed an ISIS headquarters and an ISIS-held building.

* Near Mosul, seven strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed 15 fighting positions, 11 mortar systems, three vehicles, three weapons caches, two ISIS-held buildings, two VBIEDs, a sniper position, an ISIS headquarters, two heavy machine guns, an artillery system, a UAV staging area, and a supply cache; and suppressed 14 mortar teams, two ISIS tactical units, an artillery team and a rocket-propelled grenade team.

* Near Tal Afar, six strikes destroyed four ISIS headquarters, a vehicle and a tactical vehicle.

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.