PRESS RELEASE | May 24, 2017
May 24: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq
CJTFOIR

May 24, 2017
Release # 20170524-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA – On May 23, Coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes consisting of 32 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of five engagements against ISIS targets.

· Near Abu Kamal, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and damaged a vehicle.

· Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike destroyed eight ISIS oil stills and destroyed two ISIS oil truck.

· Near Raqqah, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed three fighting positions and a mortar system.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of 27 engagements against ISIS targets.

· Near Mosul, five strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed two VBIEDs, two medium machine guns, two vehicles, a storage compound, a fighting position, a rocket- propelled grenade system, an ISIS staging area; damaged 21 ISIS supply routes, two vehicles; and suppressed a mortar team.

· Near Rawah, one strike destroyed an anti-air artillery system.

· Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed an ISIS staging area.

Additionally, three strikes were conducted in Syria on May 22 that closed within the last 24 hours.

· Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed a fighting position, a VBIED, and a front-end loader.

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.