PRESS RELEASE | March 23, 2018
March 23: Military airstrikes continue against Daesh terrorists in Syria and Iraq
March 23, 2018

Release # 20180323-01

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Military Strikes Continue Against Daesh Terrorists in Syria and Iraq

SOUTHWEST ASIA – Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve and its partners continue to strike Daesh targets in designated parts of Syria and Iraq.

Ongoing operations by Iraqi Security Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces, supported by CJTF-OIR efforts, demonstrate that much work remains to defeat Daesh here. The Coalition and our partners continue to exert pressure on Daesh senior leaders and associates in order to degrade, disrupt and dismantle Daesh structures and remove the terrorists throughout Iraq and Syria. This will prevent the terrorist group’s ability to resurge and resume its capacity to threaten and destabilize the international community.

Weekly Strike Summary

Between March 16 and March 22, Coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes consisting of 19 engagements in Syria and Iraq.

On March 22 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted three strikes consisting of six engagements against Daesh targets.

• Near Abu Kamal, two strikes engaged two Daesh tactical units.

• Near Al Shadaddi, one strike destroyed a Daesh-held building.

On March 22 in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted one strike consisting of one engagement against Daesh targets.

• Near Tal Afar, one strike destroyed a Daesh tunnel.

On March 21 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted one strike consisting of one engagement against Daesh targets.

• Near Abu Kamal, one strike engaged a Daesh tactical unit.

There were no reported strikes conducted in Iraq on March 21, 2018.

On March 20 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted one strike consisting of two engagements against Daesh targets.

• Near Abu Kamal, one strike destroyed a Daesh staging area and a weapons cache.

There were no reported strikes conducted in Iraq on March 20, 2018.

On March 19 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted three strikes consisting of three engagements against Daesh targets.

• Near Abu Kamal, three strikes engaged two Daesh tactical units and destroyed a VBIED factory.

On March 19 in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of two engagements against Daesh targets.

• Near Hawijah, one strike engaged a Daesh tactical unit and destroyed a Daesh cave.

• Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed a Daesh-held building.

There were no reported strikes conducted in Syria or Iraq on March 18, 2018.

On March 17 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted one strike consisting of two engagements against Daesh targets.

• Near Abu Kamal, one strike engaged a Daesh tactical unit and destroyed a Daeshheld building and a weapons cache.

On March 17 in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of two engagements against Daesh targets.

• Near Hawijah, one strike engaged a Daesh tactical unit and destroyed a Daesh facility.

• Near Ramadi, one strike destroyed a Daesh underground storage facility.

There were no reported strikes conducted in Syria or Iraq on March 16, 2018.

Additionally, we received late reporting of two strikes consisting of three engagements conducted in the vicinity of Makhmour, Iraq on March 11, 2018 engaging an ISIS tactical unit and destroying a tunnel network.

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 Daesh vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of Daesh-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.