Coalition Strikes Target ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Sept. 13, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 65 strikes consisting of 76 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 62 strikes consisting of 64 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed a vehicle-borne-bomb facility.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions, two vehicle-borne bombs, a vehicle-borne-bomb facility and a logistics node.

-- Near Raqqa, 56 strikes engaged 17 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 56 fighting positions, three logistics nodes and two vehicles; and suppressed a fighting position.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted three strikes consisting of 12 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Huwayjah, three strikes destroyed six ISIS tunnels.

Previous Strikes

Additionally, 18 strikes consisting of 31 engagements were conducted in Syria on Sept. 11 that closed within the last 24 hours.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed four ISIS fighting positions.

-- Near Raqqa, 16 strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed 17 fighting positions and a logistics node.

-- Near Shadaddi, a strike destroyed an ISIS staging area.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force 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.