March 5: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq

March 5, 2017
Release # 20170305-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Mar. 4, Coalition military forces conducted 13 strikes consisting of 57 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

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

* Near Abu Kamal, one strike destroyed a weapons storage facility.

* Near Ar Raqqah, two strikes engaged an ISIS staging area and damaged a supply route.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes destroyed five oil well heads and an oil inlet manifold.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of 49 engagements coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq against ISIS targets.

* Near Mosul, three strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and a rocket-propelled grenade team; destroyed nine fighting positions, a heavy machine gun, an ISIS-held building, and a mortar system; damaged 26 supply routes; and suppressed 15 mortar teams.

* Near Rawah, two strikes destroyed a fuel storage tank and an ISIS-held building.

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.