May 23: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq

May 23, 2017
Release # 20170523-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On May 22, Coalition military forces conducted 27 strikes consisting of 99 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 18 strikes consisting of 37 engagements against ISIS targets.
*Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes destroyed four ISIS oil trucks, three ISIS pump jacks, and an ISIS well head.
*Near Raqqah, 13 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 15 fighting positions, two vehicles, a weapons cache; and damaged an ISIS supply route.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted nine strikes consisting of 62 engagements against ISIS targets.
*Near Abu Kamal, one strike destroyed an ISIS staging area.
*Near Al Qaim, one strike destroyed an air artillery system.
*Near Haditha, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed two weapons caches, a fighting position, an ISIS staging area, and a house-borne IED.
*Near Mosul, five strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and a sniper; destroyed 20 fighting positions, seven VBIEDs, six medium machine guns, five rocket-propelled grenade systems, three rocket systems, a weapons cache, a command and control node, a vehicle, a mortar system, a house-borne IED; damaged 21 ISIS supply routes, a tunnel, a fighting position; and suppressed four ISIS tactical units.
*Near Rawah, one strike destroyed a weapons storage site.

Additionally, one strike was conducted in Syria on May 21 that closed within the last 24 hours.
*Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike destroyed seven ISIS oil barrels, two ISIS well heads, and one ISIS fuel truck.

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 ground-based tactical artillery.

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.