PRESS RELEASE | Aug. 19, 2017
August 19: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq
CJTFOIR

August 19, 2017
Release # 20170819-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA – On Aug. 18, Coalition military forces conducted 29 strikes consisting of 38 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 24 strikes consisting of 27 engagements against ISIS targets.
*Near Al Shadaddi, one strike destroyed a fighting position and an IED factory.
*Near Dayr Az Zawr, four strikes destroyed seven ISIS oil stills, seven pieces of oil equipment, and five oil barrels, and damaged three bridges.
*Near Raqqah, 19 strikes engaged 17 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 20 fighting positions, an anti-air artillery system, and a command and control node.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of 11 engagements against ISIS targets.
*Near Al Qaim, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a VBIED factory.
*Near Tal Afar, three strikes destroyed 24 vehicles, two tunnels, two weapons caches, two front-end loaders, a command and control node, a staging area, an explosives factory, an explosives cache, and a fighting position, and damaged three bridges and two supply routes.

Additionally, 28 strikes consisting of 34 engagements were conducted in Syria and Iraq on Aug. 16-17 that closed within the last 24 hours.
*On Aug. 16, near Raqqah, Syria, five strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two command and control nodes and a mortar system.
*On Aug. 17, near Raqqah, Syria, 19 strikes engaged 14 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 13 fighting positions, four command and control nodes, two IEDs, and a heavy machine gun.
*On Aug. 17, near Kisik, Iraq, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit, destroyed a mortar system, damaged 17 supply routes, and suppressed two mortar teams.
*On Aug. 17, near Tal Afar, Iraq, two strikes suppressed an ISIS tactical unit and damaged a tunnel.

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 ground-based tactical artillery.

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.