December 18, 2015
Release # 20151218-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Dec. 17, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL
terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces
conducted three strikes using attack aircraft. Separately in Iraq,
coalition military forces conducted 19 strikes coordinated with and in
support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, and bomber
aircraft against ISIL targets.
The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:
Syria
* Near Ayn Isa, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.
* Near Manbij, two strikes destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
Iraq
* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike denied ISIL access to terrain.
*
Near Fallujah, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units
and destroyed three ISIL heavy machine guns, four ISIL fighting
positions, an ISIL mortar position, two ISIL command and control nodes,
an ISIL-used bridge, cratered an ISIL-used road, and denied ISIL access
to terrain.
* Near Kisik, three strikes struck three separate ISIL
tactical units and destroyed two ISIL light machine guns, two ISIL
fighting positions, and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
* Near Mosul,
four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two
ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL
vehicles, and two ISIL assembly areas.
* Near Ramadi, three
strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine
gun, six ISIL staging areas, and an ISIL building.
* Near Sinjar,
four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four
ISIL vehicles, two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL light machine
guns, two ISIL excavators, an ISIL fighting position, and suppressed an
ISIL light machine gun position.
* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed five ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL communications tower.
Additionally, there was an unreported strike on Dec. 15:
*
Near Fallujah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed
two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL buildings, and denied ISIL access
to terrain.
Strike assessments are based on initial reports. All aircraft returned to base safely.
A
strike, as defined in the CJTF releases, means one or more kinetic
events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a
single, sometimes cumulative effect for that location. So having a
single aircraft deliver a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is
one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons
against a group of buildings and vehicles and weapon systems in a
compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making that
facility (or facilities) harder or impossible to use. Accordingly,
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 strikes
were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to
eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq,
Syria, and the wider international community.
The destruction of
ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the group's ability to
project terror and conduct operations. Coalition nations which have
conducted strikes in Iraq include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark,
France, Jordan, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Syria include
Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United
Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.