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Press Release | Jan. 16, 2016

Jan. 16: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq

January 16, 2016
Release # 20160116-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Jan. 15, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft. Separately in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 18 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and 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 Abu Kamal, one strike struck an ISIL-used bridge.
* Near Al Hasakah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and wounded an ISIL fighter.
* Near Ayn Isa, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL bed down location, and wounded an ISIL fighter.
* Near Mar'a, five strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and wounded an ISIL fighter.

Iraq
* Near Al Huwayjah, one strike struck an ISIL headquarters.
* Near Albu Hayat, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
* Near Kisik, one strike denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Mosul, eight strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, two ISIL fighting positions, three ISIL-used culverts, 12 ISIL assembly areas, five ISIL command and control nodes, an ISIL bunker, an ISIL weapons cache, and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Ramadi, six strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL building, an ISIL VBIED, four ISIL staging areas, cratered two ISIL-used roads, and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Tal Afar, one strike destroyed three ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL VBIED.

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.