Feb. 21: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
 
  February 21, 2016
Release # 20160221-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE **SOUTHWEST ASIA —** On Feb. 20, coalition military forces
continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition
military forces conducted 18 strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely
piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military
forces conducted 20 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government
of Iraq using rocket artillery and fighter, attack, 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 Hasakah, nine strikes struck eight separate ISIL tactical units and
destroyed an ISIL fighting position, six ISIL buildings, and an ISIL vehicle.
* Near Al Hawl, five strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and
destroyed an ISIL vehicle and two ISIL structures.
* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
* Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed an ISIL culvert bridge and two
ISIL-used logistics routes.
* Near Manbij, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.**Iraq**
* Near Al Baghdadi, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed
four ISIL supply caches, an ISIL mortar system, 16 ISIL rocket rails, an ISIL
weapons cache, and an ISIL vehicle.
* Near Habbaniyah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an
ISIL fighting position.
* Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL weapons production facility and
destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
* Near Mosul, 10 strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, an ISIL logistical
facility, an ISIL fuel storage location, an ISIL mortar booster factory, an
ISIL explosive factory, and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device
(VBIED) factory and destroyed nine ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL fighting
position, two ISIL command and control nodes, and suppressed an ISIL mortar
position and an ISIL heavy machine gun position.
* Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle and destroyed an ISIL
assembly area. 
* Near Ramadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle and destroyed two ISIL
fighting positions.
* Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and suppressed
an ISIL rocket 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.
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.