# September 24:  Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq

/ Published Sept. 24, 2016

September 24, 2016Release # 20160924-01FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**SOUTHWEST ASIA****–**On Sept. 23, coalition military forces conducted 20 strikes against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted nine strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, bomber, 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 Ar Raqqah, six strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two IED manufacturing facilities, two oil well heads, three pump jacks, and a vehicle.*       Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle, two oil well heads, and three oil tanker trucks and damaged a supply route.*       Near Manbij, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle and a heavy machine gun.*       Near Mar'a, one strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three fighting positions.**Iraq***       Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL rocket cache.*       Near Kisik, two strikes suppressed two ISIL mortar positions.*       Near Mosul, three strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two fighting positions, a rocket rail, and a tunnel.*       Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL chemical weapons factory.*       Near Ramadi, one strike engaged an ISIL tactial unit and destroyed two mortar systems.*       Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed eight rocket rails, three rocket systems, and a vehicle.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, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.