March 23: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
 
  March 23, 2016 Release # 20160323-01FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE **SOUTHWEST
 ASIA** **—** On March 22, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL 
terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces 
conducted eight strikes using ground-attack, attack, fighter, and 
remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, 
coalition military forces conducted 17 strikes coordinated with and in 
support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and 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 Manbij, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.* 
 Near Mar'a, six strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and 
destroyed four ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL improvised explosive 
device (IED) cache, an ISIL tunnel, and four ISIL vehicles.*  Near Ar Raqqah, one strike struck an ISIL weapons storage facility.**Iraq*** 
 Near Al Baghdadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and 
destroyed an ISIL front end loader, an ISIL machine gun position, and an
 ISIL bed down location.*  Near Haditha, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL staging areas.*  Near Kirkuk, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL supply cache.*  Near Kisik, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar position and three ISIL assembly areas.* 
 Near Mosul, three strikes struck an ISIL headquarters, an ISIL tactical
 unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area and an ISIL vehicle.*  Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL used bridge section.* 
 Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and 
destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle and an ISIL front end loader.*  Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar position.* 
 Near Tal Afar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an
 ISIL heavy machine gun position and an ISIL fighting position.*  Near Hit, two strikes destroyed an ISIL staging area and an ISIL supply cache.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, 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.