PRESS RELEASE | May 27, 2016
May 27: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
May 27, 2016

Release # 2016027-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On May 26, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes using attack and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 23 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using bomber, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft and against ISIL targets.

The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria
* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike destroyed two ISIL oil-pump jacks.
* Near Ayn Isa, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL vehicles.

Iraq
* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL artillery piece.
* Near Al Huwayjah, one strike struck an ISIL financial center.
* Near Fallujah, five strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, five ISIL weapons caches, and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
* Near Habbaniyah, two strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL anti-air artillery piece, and an ISIL recoilless rifle.
* Near Kisik, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL mortar position, and an ISIL mortar system.
* Near Mosul, eight strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, four ISIL vehicles, four ISIL assembly areas, and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Qayyarah, one strike struck an ISIL headquarters.
* Near Sinjar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area.
* Near Tal Afar, two strikes struck two ISIL-used bridges.

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.