PRESS RELEASE | Feb. 29, 2016
Feb. 29: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
February 29, 2016

Release # 20160229-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Feb. 28, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes using ground-attack, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and fighter and remote piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.

The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria
* Near Abu Kamal, one strike struck an ISIL gas and oil separation plant.
* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike struck an ISIL gas and oil separation plant.
* Near Ayn Isa, three strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed eight ISIL buildings, an ISIL fuel tanker, an ISIL tactical vehicle, and seven ISIL vehicles.
* Near Mar’a, three strikes destroyed four ISIL fighting positions.
* Near Tal Abyad, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL buildings, an ISIL vehicle, and suppressed an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq
* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
* Near Fallujah, one strike destroyed an ISIL front end loader and an ISIL tunnel system.
* Near Kisik, one strike suppressed an ISIL rocket fire position.
* Near Mosul, one strike struck an ISIL VBIED factory.
* Near Ramadi, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL fighting position, two ISIL staging areas, and two ISIL petroleum, oil, and lubricant trucks.
* Near Sinjar, three strikes destroyed six ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL mortar position and an ISIL sniper position.
* Near Sultan Abdallah, 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.