April 3: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq

Release No: 17-131 April 3, 2017 PRINT | E-MAIL

April 3, 2017
Release # 20170403-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Apr. 2, Coalition military forces conducted 20 strikes consisting of 51 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted nine strikes consisting of 13 engagements against ISIS targets.

* Near Abu Kamal, one strike destroyed two ISIS well heads, two heavy equipment pieces, and two oil storage tanks.
* Near Al Shadaddi, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three fighting positions.
* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.
* Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike destroyed three ISIS well heads.
* Palmyra, one strike destroyed an ISIS improvised weapons facility and an IED.
* Tabqah, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed two tactical vehicles, a fighting position, and a tank; and damaged four supply routes.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes consisting of 38 engagements coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq against ISIS targets.

* Near Al Qaim, six strikes destroyed two VBIED facilities, a VBIED factory, a VBIED, an explosives cache, and an ISIS finance office.
* Near Mosul, five strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed a fighting position, a mortar system, and a rocket-propelled grenade system; damaged three fighting positions, two supply routes, and a supply cache; and suppressed eight ISIS mortar teams and four ISIS tactical units.

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.

CJTFOIR