Sales Tax continues to hamper Zain Iraq
Posted on 19 October 2016 .
By John Lee.
Zain Iraq has said that the exceptional socio-economic circumstances in Iraq have hampered the company's financial performance, with revenues for the period reaching $804 million and EBITDA reaching $284 million.
Net income amounted to $29 million, with the EBITDA margin standing at 35.3 percent. Data-related revenues formed 9 percent of overall revenues for the first nine-months of 2016 and customers served totalled 11.8 million, a 3 percent increase Y-o-Y.
The continued civil instability in Iraq and implementation of a 20 percent sales tax on mobile services, as well as wide-ranging tax increases on other sectors in the country are affecting spending on mobile services, impacting Zain Iraq’s operational results and consequently the Group’s overall key financial metrics.
Zain Group CEO, Scott Gegenheimer (pictured) stated:
“We are working closely with the Board of Directors and the management team of all our operations in dealing with the many challenges we face, which are impacting our financial performance on several fronts. These essentially relate to the ongoing civil instability and sales tax increases in Iraq; the intense price competition in Kuwait; the biometric registration requirement in Saudi Arabia; and the currency issues in both Sudan and Iraq.
"We are optimistic that these issues will gradually subside and are confident that the strategies we have in place to tackle them will be effective.”
(Source: Zain)
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Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq
Posted on 19 October 2016 .
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq on Monday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported yesterday.
Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Strikes in Syria
Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 18 strikes in Syria:
- Near Abu Kamal, three strikes destroyed six oil well heads, two oil tanker trucks and an oil pump jack.
- Near Shadaddi, eight strikes engaged eight ISIL tactical units and destroyed seven fighting positions and two vehicles.
- Near Ayn Isa, a strike engaged an ISIL staging area.
- Near Idlib, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.
- Near Mara, four strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions and a vehicle.
- Near Palmyra, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.
Strikes in Iraq
Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted seven strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
- Near Qaim, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.
- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and two staging areas; destroyed 10 mortar systems, five artillery systems, four ISIL-held buildings, four fighting positions, four vehicles, two supply caches, two repeater tower generators, a vehicle bomb facility, and a vehicle bomb. Four tactical units and three rocket positions were suppressed.
- Near Qayyarah, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and a mortar position; destroyed an ISIL-held building, a mortar system, an oil tanker truck and a rocket-propelled grenade. A vehicle was damaged.
Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do 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 counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.
Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
(Source: US Dept of Defense)
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Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIL in Syria, Iraq
Posted on 18 October 2016 .
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq on Sunday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported yesterday.
Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Strikes in Syria
Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted six strikes in Syria:
- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed six oil tanker trucks and an oil pump jack.
- Near Raqqah, a strike destroyed two oil pump jacks.
- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged four ISIL supply routes.
- Near Manbij, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.
- Near Mara, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.
Strikes in Iraq
Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 11 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:
- Near Kisik, a strike destroyed an ISIL artillery system and a tunnel.
- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units, two staging areas, 12 assembly areas and a bridge; destroyed six tunnel entrances, five supply caches, four repeater-tower generators, four mortar systems, a repeater tower, four repeater antennas, four solar panels, two artillery systems, two vehicles, two tunnels and an anti-air artillery system, A trench tunnel network was damaged and three mortar systems were suppressed.
- Near Qayyarah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL-held buildings and two mortar systems.
- Near Rawah, two strikes engaged an ISIL vehicle-bomb factory and destroyed a vehicle and a vehicle bomb.
- Near Sinjar, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.
- Near Tal Afar, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit, two staging areas and a headquarters building. A mortar system was destroyed and two mortar positions were suppressed.
Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do 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 counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.
Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
(Source: US Dept of Defense)
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Military Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq
Posted on 14 October 2016 .
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq on Wednesday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported yesterday.
Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Strikes in Syria
Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted nine strikes in Syria:
- Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed four ISIL oil wellheads, four oil collection tanks and a vehicle.
- Near Ayn Isa, a strike destroyed seven fighting positions.
- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged an ISIL supply route and destroyed an oil wellhead.
- Near Mara, four strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units and destroyed a vehicle.
Strikes in Iraq
Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 10 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
- Near Huwayjah, a strike destroyed an ISIL boat and a vehicle bomb.
- Near Rutbah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three vehicles.
- Near Bashir, a strike engaged an ISIL staging area and destroyed two ISIL-held buildings, two fighting positions, two tunnels, a storage cache and an ammunition cache.
- Near Beiji, a strike destroyed two ISIL ammunition caches, two vehicles, a mortar system and a tunnel entrance.
- Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed three ISIL tunnel entrances and damaged another tunnel.
- Near Mosul, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.
- Near Qayyarah, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three supply caches, two vehicles, two mortar systems, two rocket systems and a heavy machine gun.
- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed five ISIL homemade explosive caches, two vehicles and an artillery system and suppressed a mortar position.
Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do 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 counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
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 terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.
Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
(Source: US Dept of Defense)
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Parliament Speaker outlines post-IS plan
Posted on 13 October 2016 .
By Mustafa Saadoun for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
Salim al-Jabouri is the fifth Sunni Arab figure to become speaker of the parliament during the three post-2003 parliamentary terms. Jabouri belongs to the Islamic Party, which is said to be the Iraqi wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. He hails from Diyala province, which is witnessing political and demographic conflicts between Shiites, Sunnis and the Kurds.
Jabouri became parliament speaker in July 2014, succeeding his former ally and current rival, Osama al-Nujaifi. He has become one of the key players in Iraqi politics.
Al-Monitor interviewed him at his private office in central Baghdad's protected Green Zone. The text of the interview follows:
Al-Monitor: Where do the Sunnis stand in the [future] post-Islamic State [IS] phase? What are your plans as Sunni leader for this phase?
Jabouri: We have had a great deal of suffering and displacement, and our main goal now is to have the displaced return to their homes and to rebuild the mindset of many of them, especially those who had to drop out of schools and universities. There was a clear political imbalance. On the one hand, there were policies that led to breeding extremism, joining terrorist groups, promoting extremist slogans and clashing with the state.
On the other hand, there was another approach whereby state-building requires stability and security, which, in turn, require the state to believe in stability, justice and freedom.
Moving forward, the parties representing Sunni provinces should find political consensus either as a single entity or as several entities. We are in favor of decentralization within the framework of the provinces, whereby each province turns into a region and an understanding is found with the political parties and the other components within a single state.
Al-Monitor: Do you mean consensus among the Sunni blocs or between Sunni blocs and other parties?
Jabouri: We will first seek internal consensus among the Sunni parties, and then we will look for a partner we can reach an understanding with within the same state.
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Coalition Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq
Posted on 13 October 2016 .
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported yesterday.
Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Strikes in Syria
Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 11 strikes in Syria:
- Near Abu Kamal, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.
- Near Raqqah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle and a vehicle bomb.
- Near Dayr Az Zawr, four strikes destroyed 11 ISIL oil tanker trucks, six oil wellheads, three vehicles, a front-end loader and a crane.
- Near Manbij, a strike suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.
- Near Mara, four strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions and a vehicle.
Strikes in Iraq
Attack and fighter aircraft conducted seven strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
- Near Fallujah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.
- Near Mosul, four strikes destroyed two ISIL mortar systems, an ISIL-held building, a weapons cache, a supply cache and a tunnel.
- Near Qayyarah, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and a staging area, and destroyed two command-and-control nodes.
Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do 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 counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
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 terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.
Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
(Source: US Dept of Defense)
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Coalition Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq
Posted on 12 October 2016 .
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria on Monday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported on Tuesday.
Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Strikes in Syria
Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted eight strikes in Syria:
- Near Abu Kamal, a strike damaged a supply route.
- Near Hawl, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.
- Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed three ISIL oil wellheads and an oil tanker truck and damaged two supply routes.
- Near Manbij, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions and two vehicles.
Strikes in Iraq
Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted nine strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
- Near Beiji, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three fighting positions, two weapons caches, two bunkers and a tunnel entrance.
- Near Haditha, a strike destroyed three ISIL vehicles.
- Near Kisik, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit, destroying an ISIL-held building, a fighting position, a heavy machine gun and three tunnels. A trench and another tunnel were damaged, and a second tactical unit was suppressed.
- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit, a staging area, six headquarters buildings, two media centers, a vehicle bomb facility and a weapons facility, destroying two ISIL-held buildings, a command-and-control node, an anti-air artillery system and a weapons cache.
- Near Sinjar, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed five fighting positions.
Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do 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 counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.
Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
(Source: US Dept of Defense)
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Turkey's "Brash Behaviour" Riles Iraq
Posted on 12 October 2016 .
By Fehim Taştekin for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
Turkey has been officially uninvited — in no uncertain terms — to the liberation of Mosul, Iraq.
When rumors began piling up recently that Turkey — after launching Operation Euphrates Shield in Syria — also has plans to intervene on the Iraqi front with Operation Tigris Shield, diplomatic channels between Ankara and Baghdad caught fire.
Baghdad was already unhappy with Turkey, believing Ankara is more interested in the post-Islamic State (IS) future of Mosul rather than helping to liberate it. Baghdad was also concerned about Turkey training Sunni-dominated Al-Hashd al-Watani forces at Bashiqa training camp 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Mosul.
So when Turkey's parliament decided Oct. 1 to extend for a year its military operations in Iraq and Syria, the Iraqi parliament responded with a blunt, unfriendly warning.
The warning called for summoning the Turkish ambassador, branding Turkish forces in Iraq as occupiers, prosecuting those responsible and denouncing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s pronouncements. It also called for reviewing trade and economic relations with Turkey and initiating immediate action with the United Nations to expel Turkish troops.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry responded in similarly harsh language: “We denounce the decision of the Iraqi parliament. We strongly condemn the ugly accusations directed to our president.”
Tension between Ankara and Baghdad escalated after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned that the presence of Turkish soldiers in Iraq could lead to a regional war.
Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus contributed to the squabble. “Where was the Iraqi government when [IS] occupied Mosul in one day?” he asked, referring to the takeover in June 2014.
Many people wondered what had prompted the Iraqi parliament's bad-tempered action.
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Counter-ISIL Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq
Posted on 11 October 2016 .
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq on Sunday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported on Monday.
Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Strikes in Syria
Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted eight strikes in Syria:
- Near Abu Kamal, a strike damaged two supply routes.
- Near Shadaddi, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three fighting position and a vehicle.
- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes damaged four ISIL supply routes.
- Near Mara, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle and a fighting position.
- Near Palmyra, a strike destroyed an ISIL headquarters facility.
Strikes in Iraq
Rocket artillery and attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted eight strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:
- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and a staging area; destroyed a training camp, a mortar cache, a logistical node, a sniper position, a supply cache and a tunnel; and damaged another tunnel.
- Near Sinjar, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions, two vehicles, a mortar system and a logistical node.
- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system.
Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do 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 counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.
Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
(Source: US Dept of Defense)
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Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq
Posted on 07 October 2016 .
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Strikes in Syria
Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted nine strikes in Syria:
- Near Raqqah, three strikes destroyed nine ISIL oil tanker trucks, seven oil truck trailers, four oil pump jacks, an oil storage tank and a front-end loader.
- Near Ayn Isa, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a front-end loader.
- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed an ISIL oil well head and damaged two supply routes.
- Near Manbij, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units, destroying three fighting positions and two heavy machine guns. A mortar position was suppressed.
- Near Mara, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.
Strikes in Iraq
Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft, as well as rocket artillery, conducted 18 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
- Near Al Huwayjah, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.
- Near Baghdad, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.
- Near Haditha, a strike engaged an ISIL staging area.
- Near Hit, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit, destroying two ISIL-held buildings, a vehicle and a weapons cache. A second ISIL-held building was damaged.
- Near Mosul, six strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units and destroyed three vehicles, a weapons cache, two supply caches, a command-and-control node, a mortar system and an anti-air artillery system.
- Near Qayyarah, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system and a fighting position.
- Near Ramadi, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two vehicles, two bunkers and a tunnel entrance.
- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
- Near Tal Afar, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL-held buildings and a vehicle.
Additionally, due to a delayed strike assessment, two strikes conducted near Dayz Ar Zawr in Syria on Oct. 4 were not reported on the Oct. 5 strike release. The correct assessment reads:
Strikes in Syria
- Near Dayz Ar Zawr, two strikes destroyed three ISIL oil well heads and an oil pump jack and damaged six supply routes.
Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do 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 counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.
Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
(Source: US Dept of Defense)
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