PRESS RELEASE | Feb. 21, 2017
February 21: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq
CJTFOIR

February 21, 2017
Release # 20170221-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On Feb. 20, Coalition military forces conducted 26 strikes consisting of 89 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.
In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 17 strikes consisting of 28 engagements against ISIS targets.

* Near Al Bab, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units, destroyed four ISIS-held buildings, and damaged an ISIS-held building.

* Near Ar Raqqah, seven strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed three fighting positions, a VBIED, a garage, an IED and a weapons facility; and damaged a bridge.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, four strikes destroyed six oil wellheads.

* Near Palmyra, three strikes destroyed 26 oil tanker trucks.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted nine strikes consisting of 61 engagements coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq against ISIS targets.

* Near Bayji, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and an ISIS staging area and destroyed a weapons cache, a VBIED, and a VBIED facility.

* Near Kisik, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two ISIS-held buildings, a VBIED, a vehicle, a tactical vehicle and a UAV.

* Near Mosul, six strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed 11 mortar systems, three ISIS headquarters, three ISIS-held buildings, two anti-air artillery systems, two tactical vehicles, two supply caches, a front-end loader, a fighting position, a weapons facility, a VBIED and an IED; damaged nine supply routes and suppressed 14 mortar teams and an ISIS tactical unit.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike destroyed a VBIED facility.

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.

This Coalition strike release 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. Ground-based artillery fired in counter-fire or in fire support to maneuver roles are not classified as a strike as defined by CJTF-OIR.

A strike, as defined in the Coalition release, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative effect in that location. For example, 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.

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 information used to compile the daily strike releases is based on ‘Z’ or Greenwich Mean Time.