PRESS RELEASE | April 21, 2016
April 21: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
April 21, 2016

Release # 20160421-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On April 20, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 21 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and bomber, attack, ground-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 Abu Kamal, one strike struck an ISIL oil well head.
* Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL rocket system.
* Near Mar’a, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and two ISIL main battle tanks.

Iraq
* Near Al Baghdadi, five strikes struck three separate ISIL staging facilities and destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) and damaged an ISIL vehicle.
* Near Ar Rutbah, one strike destroyed an ISIL VBIED.
* Near Fallujah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL bed down location.
* Near Haditha, one strike destroyed an ISIL tunnel system.
* Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed 27 ISIL boats and three ISIL fighting positions.
* Near Mosul, six strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed seven ISIL assembly areas, three ISIL vehicles, an ISIL supply cache, and an ISIL command and control node.
* Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL VBIED.
* Near Sinjar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL machine gun, an ISIL fighting position, and an ISIL assembly area.
* Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL assembly area, and an ISIL rocket rail.

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 a 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.