March 27: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
 
  March 27, 2016Release # 20160327-01FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE **SOUTHWEST
 ASIA** **—** On March 26, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL 
terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces 
conducted two strikes using attack and ground-attack aircraft against 
ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 
19 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 Manbij, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.*  Near Mar'a, one strike destroyed six ISIL fighting positions.**Iraq***  Near Al Baghdadi, three strikes struck an ISIL staging facility.*  Near Hit, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.*  Near Kisik, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.* 
 Near Mosul, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and 
destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position, an ISIL anti-air artillery
 piece and two ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL mortar 
position and two ISIL tactical units.*  Near Qayyarah, three 
strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL security 
headquarters and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.*  Near Sinjar, two strikes suppressed an ISIL rocket firing position and an ISIL mortar position. * 
 Near Sultan Abdallah, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical 
units and destroyed three ISIL assembly areas and suppressed two ISIL 
mortar positions, an ISIL surface to air firing position, and an ISIL 
tactical unit.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 an operational 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.