December 22, 2015
Release # 20151222-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Dec. 21, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL
terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces
conducted eight strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted
aircraft. In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 17 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 Al Hasakah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL building.
* Near Al Hawl, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions.
* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike struck an ISIL excavator.
*
Near Mar'a, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and
destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL fighting position, damaged an ISIL
fighting position, and wounded two ISIL fighters.
Iraq
*
Near Fallujah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed
an improvised explosive device (IED) facility and wounded two ISIL
fighters.
* Near Kisik, one strike suppressed ISIL rocket fire.
*
Near Mosul, seven strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and
destroyed an ISIL building, 12 ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL heavy
machine gun, two ISIL vehicles, five ISIL bunkers, and destroyed seven
ISIL assembly areas.
* Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL excavator.
*
Near Ramadi, six strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and
destroyed four ISIL command and control nodes, four ISIL weapons caches,
two ISIL buildings, an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device
(VBIED), wounded two ISIL fighters, 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.