Jan. 31: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
 
  January 31, 2016
Release # 20160131-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE **SOUTHWEST ASIA —** On Jan. 30, coalition military forces
continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition
military forces conducted five 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 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 Hasakah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an
ISIL structure and two ISIL fighting positions.
* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike destroyed an ISIL crane.
* Near Ayn Isa, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
* Near Mar'a, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.**Iraq**
* Near Al Qaim, one strike destroyed an ISIL front end loader.
* Near Habbaniyah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an
ISIL mortar position, an ISIL fighting position, and cratered an ISIL-used land
bridge.
* Near Kirkuk, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and
destroyed an ISIL tunnel.
* Near Mosul, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, and
destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL fighting positions, five ISIL
assembly areas, and an ISIL checkpoint.
* Near Ramadi, seven strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and
destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle, three ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL
front end loader, and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Sinjar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL
heavy machine gun and an ISIL fighting position.
* Near Tal Afar, one strike suppressed 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.
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.