March 12: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq

March 12, 2017
Release # 20170312-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Mar. 11, Coalition military forces conducted 22 strikes consisting of 82 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 15 strikes consisting of 15 engagements against ISIS targets.

*Near Abu Kamal, one strike destroyed a well head.

*Near Ar Raqqah, 12 strikes, engaged three ISIS tactical units and two ISIS staging areas; destroyed three fighting positions, two tanker trucks, a weapons storage facility, a well head, an ISIS-held building, and an anti-air artillery system; and damaged two bridges.

*Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed an oil inlet manifold and a well head.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of 67 engagements coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq against ISIS targets.

*Near Bayji, one strike destroyed a tactical vehicle.

*Near Mosul, five strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and an ISIS sniper team; destroyed seven fighting positions, three ISIS-held buildings, two rocket-propelled grenade systems, a medium machine gun, a VBIED, an artillery system, and a watercraft; damaged 20 supply routes and an ISIS-held building; and suppressed 15 mortar teams and five ISIS tactical units.

*Near Sinjar, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed two ISIS-held buildings, two ISIS headquarters, and two supply caches.

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.