PRESS RELEASE | May 31, 2016
May 31: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
May 31, 2016

Release # 2016031-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTHWEST ASIA — On May 30, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes using bomber, attack, ground-attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 13 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and bomber, ground-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 Ar Raqqah, one strike destroyed an ISIL oil pump jack.
* Near Manbij, nine strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL improvised explosive device (IED) factory and destroyed 26 ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL mortar position, two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL supply cache, and three ISIL tunnels.
* Near Washiyah, one strike struck an ISIL weapons production factory.

Iraq
* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike struck an ISIL bed down location and an ISIL weapons cache.
* Near Albu Hayat, one strike struck an ISIL weapons cache.
* Near Fallujah, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions, five ISIL vehicles, an ISIL heavy machine gun, three ISIL heavy machine gun positions, two ISIL recoilless rifles, and an ISIL mortar system and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Hit, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL anti-air artillery piece, an ISIL vehicle, and two ISIL weapons caches and suppressed an ISIL machine gun position.
* Near Mosul, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, eight ISIL assembly areas, five ISIL vehicles, an ISIL command and control node, an ISIL vehicle borne improvised device (VBIED) facility, three ISIL VBIEDs, and an ISIL heavy machine gun and suppressed an ISIL mortar position and an ISIL light machine gun position and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, two ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL mortar system, three ISIL supply caches, and an ISIL IED factory.
* Near Tal Afar, three strikes struck an 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.