PRESS RELEASE | June 13, 2016
June 13: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
June 13, 2016

Release # 20160613-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On June 12, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 13 strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 19 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using bomber, ground-attack, 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 destroyed two ISIL oil well heads.
• Near Ayn Isa, five strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, five ISIL vehicles, an ISIL command and control node, and an ISIL front-end loader.
• Near Manbij, six strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL cave entrance, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL vehicle, and an ISIL light machine gun.
• Near Mar’a, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL tactical vehicle.

Iraq
• Near Bayji, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL vehicle, and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
• Near Fallujah, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 11 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicles, two ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL anti-air artillery piece, five ISIL light machine guns, three ISIL tunnel systems, and an ISIL recoilless rifle and damaged a separate ISIL fighting position and denied ISIL access to terrain.
• Near Haditha, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Kisik, one strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
• Near Mosul, six strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL oil tanker storage area and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL vehicle and suppressed an ISIL machine gun position.
• Near Qayyarah, seven strikes struck two separate large ISIL tactical units, an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) facility, and three ISIL-used bridges and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, seven ISIL assembly areas, two ISIL artillery pieces, an ISIL tactical vehicle, three ISIL mortar systems, an ISIL mortar position, an ISIL rocket rail, four ISIL VBIEDs, and 18 ISIL boats and suppressed a separate ISIL tactical unit.

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.