December 16, 2015
Release # 20151216-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Dec. 15, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL
terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces
conducted six strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted
aircraft. Separately in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 11
strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using
attack, fighter, bomber, and remotely piloted 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 struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
* Near Manbij, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL checkpoint and an ISIL bunker.
*
Near Mar'a, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an
ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), an ISIL
fighting position, and an ISIL staging area.
Iraq
* Near Al Qaim, three strikes struck an ISIL headquarters, an ISIL IED facility, and an ISIL VBIED facility.
* Near Hit, one strike destroyed two ISIL-used bridges.
* Near Kisik, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar position.
*
Near Ramadi, five strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and
destroyed three ISIL tactical vehicles, two ISIL vehicles, nine ISIL
staging areas, five ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL heavy machine gun,
three ISIL bed down locations, cratered eight ISIL-used roads, and
denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Sinjar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
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.