PRESS RELEASE | May 30, 2016
May 30: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
May 30, 2016

Release # 2016030-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On May 29, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted five strikes using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 19 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and 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 Dayr Az Zawr, one strike destroyed six ISIL cranes and two ISIL road graders.
* Near Manbij, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 13 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL mortar systems, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL command and control node, and three ISIL boats.

Iraq
* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit.
* Near Al Huwayjah, one strike suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.
* Near Bashir, one strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
* Near Fallujah, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL vehicle, two ISIL tactical vehicles, an ISIL front end loader, an ISIL improvised explosive device (IED), two ISIL tunnel entrances, three ISIL-used foot bridges, and damaged a separate ISIL fighting position and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Habbaniyah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
* Near Hit, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL boats, and an ISIL vehicle.
* Near Kisik, one strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
* Near Mosul, eight strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL weapons storage center and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, six ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL tunnel entrance, seven ISIL weapons caches, five ISIL vehicles, five ISIL command and control nodes, 11 ISIL mortar positions, six ISIL artillery pieces, two ISIL rocket rails, seven ISIL vehicle borne IED, and damaged an ISIL anti-air artillery piece and suppressed an ISIL rocket position and an ISIL tactical unit and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL headquarters, and an ISIL mortar position and suppressed an ISIL machine gun position.

Additionally, on May 28, one strike was not reported due to an administrative error:

Iraq
* Near Hit, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL fighting positions, and an ISIL boat.

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.