May 09, 2016
Release # 20160509-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SOUTHWEST
ASIA — On May 8, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL
terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces
conducted nine 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 attack, 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 Al Shadaddi, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions.
* Near Manbij, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
*
Near Mar'a, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and
destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL vehicle borne
improvised explosive device (VBIED), and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
*
Near Palmyra, two strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and
destroyed an ISIL fighting position and three ISIL vehicles.
Iraq
* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL bunker.
* Near Albu Hayat, one strike destroyed an ISIL weapons cache and an ISIL fuel cache.
* Near Bayji, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*
Near Fallujah, five strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units
and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions, three ISIL weapons caches,
20 ISIL rockets, six ISIL rocket rails, an ISIL recoilless rifle, an
ISIL VBIED, an ISIL artillery piece, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL staging
area, and an ISIL front end loader.
* Near Habbaniyah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
* Near Hit, one strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
* Near Kisik, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area and an ISIL tunnel.
*
Near Mosul, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed
four ISIL rockets, six ISIL rocket rails, and an ISIL vehicle and
suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
* Near Sultan Abdallah, two
strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area
and an ISIL mortar 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.
Ground-based
artillery fired in counter-fire or in fire support to maneuver roles
are not classified as a strike as defined by CJTF-OIR.
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, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the
United States. Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Syria
include Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands,
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the
United States.