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Press Release | Feb. 26, 2016

Feb. 26: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq

February 26, 2016
Release # 20160226-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Feb. 25, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes using ground-attack, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 16 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using fighter 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 Abu Kamal, two strikes struck an ISIL petroleum, oil, and lubricant separation vessel and an ISIL gas and oil separation plant and crude oil collection point.
* Near Al Hawl, eight strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed six ISIL vehicles, an ISIL staging area, an ISIL tactical vehicle, and an ISIL mortar position.
* Near Ar Raqqah, two strikes struck an ISIL staging area and an ISIL weapons storage area.
* Near Al Hasakah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL building.

Iraq
* Near Haditha, one strike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle.
* Near Hit, one strike destroyed an ISIL oil tanker.
* Near Kirkuk, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
* Near Kisik, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL light machine gun, and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
* Near Mosul, one strike destroyed five ISIL fighting positions.
* Near Ramadi, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL artillery system, an ISIL staging area, two ISIL supply caches, and damaged an ISIL staging area.
* Near Sinjar, two strikes suppressed an ISIL mortar position and an ISIL rocket position.
* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
* Near Fallujah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL bunkers.

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.