PRESS RELEASE | April 17, 2017
April 17: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq
CJTFOIR

April 17, 2017
Release # 20170417-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On April 16, Coalition military forces conducted 33 strikes consisting of 105 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 21 strikes consisting of 15 engagements against ISIS targets.
* Near Abu Kamal, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS vehicle.
* Near Raqqah, five strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions and a mortar system.
* Near Dayr Az Zawr, nine strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed nine ISIS oil equipment items, five well heads, and one vehicle; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.
* Near Tabqah, five strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and suppressed three ISIS tactical units.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes consisting of 90 engagements against ISIS targets.
* Near Al Qaim, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS vehicle.
* Near Mosul, eight strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units; destroyed eight fighting positions, three VBIEDs, three mortar systems, two ISIS vehicles, two heavy machine guns, and one front-end loader; damaged 16 ISIS supply routes and four fighting positions; and suppressed 10 mortar teams and an ISIS tactical unit.
* Near Rawah, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two anti-air artillery systems.
* Near Tal Afar, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

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.