March 9: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq

March 9, 2017
Release # 20170309-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Mar. 8, Coalition military forces conducted 22 strikes consisting of 82 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes consisting of 21 engagements against ISIS targets.

*Near Ar Raqqah, nine strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed three weapons caches, two mortar systems, an artillery system, an ISIS training center, a vehicle, a VBIED, and a fighting position.

*Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed two barges, five well heads, a fighting positions, and a vehicle; and damaged two barges.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted eight strikes consisting of 61 engagements coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq against ISIS targets.

*Mosul, fives strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed six vehicles, five tanker trucks, four mortar systems, 4 VBIEDs, two supply caches, a fighting position, an artillery system, an ISIS-held building, a tactical vehicle, an ISIS headquarters, and a weapons storage facility; damaged 32 supply routes; and suppressed nine mortar teams, a sniper team, a medium machine gun team, and an ISIS tactical unit.

*Near Rawah, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit; and destroyed two heavy machine guns and a weapons cache.

*Tal Afar, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and an ISIS staging area; and destroyed two vehicles, an ISIS-held building, 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.