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U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq on Tuesday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported on Wednesday.

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 12 strikes in Syria:

• Near Shadaddi, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two vehicles.
• Near Raqqah, a strike destroyed an ISIL pump jack.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed 12 oil tanker trucks and two oil wellheads and disabled a bridge along an ISIL supply route.
• Near Manbij, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed five fighting positions.
• Near Mara, five strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed five fighting positions and a mortar system.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 10 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Qaim, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb-making facility.
• Near Kisik, a strike produced inconclusive results.
• Near Mosul, four strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit, suppressed a mortar system and destroyed an anti-air artillery system and a tunnel.
• Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed two ISIL vehicles and a mortar system.
• Near Ramadi, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system and damaged an excavator.

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)

By Adnan Abu Zeed for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. 

Every year, the number of pilgrims visiting religious sites in Iraq increases. After Iranians were not allowed to travel to Mecca to perform the hajj this year due to Iranian-Saudi disputes, Iranian Shiites headed in great numbers to Imam Husayn Shrine (pictured) in Karbala to celebrate the Day of Arafah on Sept. 10.

There were around 1 million visitors in September. As the holy month of Muharram, during which time Shiites visit Karbala, is approaches, the number of visitors will increase further.

The increase in visitors has sparked questions whether Iraq can find a way to improve the country's economy, despite the fact that it hasn’t imposed taxes or fines on religious tourists for 12 years. But indicators in August foreshadowed a gradual growth in tourism that focuses on religious and archaeological landmarks.

According to Maitham Laibi, an economist and academic at the University of Baghdad, the country's economic growth has not been steady in a way that could ensure effective measures to benefit from the increasing number of visitors.

Laibi told Al-Monitor, “Iraq has not been able to use religious sites to its advantage and integrate them in profitable touristic activities due to the managerial mentality that is characterized by lavish spending on these rituals from the state’s budget, instead of investing in encouraging more locals and international pilgrims to visit.”

He said, "During the era of oil prosperity and the large financial revenues, governmental cars were used during the visits and lump sums of money were spent on religious convoys, while no entrance fees to Iraq were collected.”

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, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 10 strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed five ISIL oil tanker trucks and two oil well heads.
• Near Ayn Isa, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed nine oil well heads and an oil tanker truck.
• Near Manbij, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions and a tank.
• Near Mara, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions and a mortar system.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter, remotely piloted aircraft as well as rocket artillery conducted 17 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Huwayjah, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units.
• Near Haditha, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL-held building.
• Near Hit, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and a staging area and destroyed three ISIL-held buildings.
• Near Kisik, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle, a tunnel and a watercraft.
• Near Mosul, four strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units, destroying two weapon caches, two fighting positions and two tunnels. A mortar system was suppressed.
• Near Qayyarah, four strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three rocket rails, three vehicles, two mortar systems, a rocket system, a fighting position and a weapons cache.
• Near Ramadi, a strike destroyed two ISIL machine guns.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL-held building.
• Near Tal Afar, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

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)

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq on Saturday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported on Sunday.

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 13 strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed seven oil tanker trucks.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes destroyed seven ISIL oil well heads and damaged two supply routes.
• Near Manbij, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, two weapons caches and a mortar system.
• Near Mara, three strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle bomb, a vehicle and a heavy machine gun.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft as well as rocket artillery conducted 14 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Huwayjah, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed a watercraft, two vehicles and a vehicle bomb. A vehicle was damaged.
• Near Kisik, a strike destroyed an ISIL watercraft.
• Near Mosul, six strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units, destroying two vehicles, two tunnels and an anti-air artillery system. Four ISIL fighting positions were damaged.
• Near Ramadi, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three vehicles, a heavy machine gun and an anti-air artillery system.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, four strikes destroyed three ISIL headquarters buildings, a weapons cache and a 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 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)

By Ali Mamouri for Al Monitor. Any views expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. 

Saudi newspapers reported Sept. 15 that Shiites are expected to replace their pilgrimage to Mecca with religious visits to Iraq’s Karbala instead.

According Al-Riyadh newspaper, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a fatwa allowing “going on pilgrimage to Karbala and other holy shrines in Iraq instead of Mecca this year.”

The decision came following Khamenei's scathing comments against the Saudi royal family Sept. 7, addressing it as “a damned malicious tree” and urging the formation of a fact-finding committee to probe last year's hajj stampede in which more than 460 Iranians were killed. Khamenei also denounced what he called the kingdom’s poor management of holy places.

Last year, Iran and some other Islamic countries called for withdrawing management of the hajj from Saudi Arabia in favor of a joint Islamic management of the pilgrimage affairs.

The news has gone viral in the Arab media and was taken as fact without any checking. However, no such fatwa by Khamenei has yet appeared.

Al-Azhar’s Council of Senior Scholars, which is widely respected in the global Sunni community, commented, “According to Sharia, pilgrimage ought to be performed at a certain time and to a certain destination. Any visit outside this time frame and location that are set in the Sharia is not considered a valid pilgrimage no matter the fatwas issued to this effect.”

The Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported Sept. 10 that 1 million Iranians had flocked to Karbala to perform their pilgrimage instead of visiting Mecca in the time of hajj. However, according to the Iranian consul in Karbala, there were no more than 60,000 Iranian pilgrims there at the time of the Asharq Al-Awsat report.

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 on Thursday.

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 16 strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIL oil wellhead.
• Near Shadaddi, a strike damaged an ISIL supply route.
• Near Raqqah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL weapons factory and a barracks.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, four strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle, four oil tanker trucks, an oil tanker trailer and two oil wellheads. Six supply routes were damaged.
• Near Manbij, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and damaged a checkpoint.
• Near Mara, seven strikes engaged seven ISIL tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions, a vehicle and an anti-air artillery system.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft as well as rocket artillery conducted 13 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Baghdadi, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a repeater tower and a bunker.
• Near Mosul, four strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units and destroyed three weapons caches and suppressed a sniper firing position.
• Near Qayyarah, four strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed 38 vehicles, four watercraft and a land bridge. A culvert entrance was damaged and a tactical unit was suppressed.
• Near Ramadi, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two vehicles, two supply caches and a fuel tank.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle and an artillery system.
• Near Tal Afar, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a checkpoint.

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)

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 eight strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed 23 ISIL oil tanker trucks and four wellheads.
• Near Raqqah, a strike produced inconclusive results.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes damaged nine supply routes.
• Near Mara, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three mortar systems and two fighting positions.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 14 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

• Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Qaim, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb facility.
• Near Albu Hayat, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle bomb.
• Near Bashir, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle and an anti-air artillery system.
• Near Kisik, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and suppressed a second tactical unit.
• Near Mosul, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.
• Near Qayyarah, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed six vehicles, six watercraft, two vehicle bombs and a heavy machine gun.
• Near Ramadi, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and a staging area and destroyed a vehicle, a building, a mortar system, a fighting position, a fuel tanker and two rocket rails.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed two ISIL improvised weapons facilities.
• Near Tal Afar, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed two vehicles and a weapons cache.

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)

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 and fighter aircraft conducted nine strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIL wellhead.
• Near Raqqah, a strike destroyed an ISIL barracks.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed seven oil tanker trucks and damaged two supply routes.
• Near Mara, four strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a command-and-control node and three improvised explosive devices.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 20 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Baghdadi, three strikes destroyed an ISIL bunker and two command-and-control nodes.
• Near Huwayjah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.
• Near Fallujah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.
• Near Kisik, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.
• Near Mosul, four strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units and destroyed a vehicle.
• Near Qayyarah, four strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and a communications facility and destroyed a vehicle, a heavy weapons system and a checkpoint.
• Near Ramadi, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and a staging area and destroyed two heavy machine guns, a weapons cache, two command-and-control nodes and two logistics hubs.
• Near Rawah, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle storage facility.
• Near Sinjar, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a weapons cache and suppressed a mortar position.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system and a supply cache.
• Near Tal Afar, a strike destroyed an ISIL tunnel entrance, a vehicle, a supply cache, a mortar system, a building and nine 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)

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq on Saturday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported on Sunday.

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 12 strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed an ISIL oil pump jack and two oil well heads and damaged seven supply routes.
• Near Raqqah, two strikes destroyed two ISIL tactical vehicles.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed seven ISIL oil tanker trucks and damaged eight supply routes.
• Near Mara, five strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units and destroyed an artillery system and three fighting positions and damaged a fighting position.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted seven strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

• Near Qaim, three strikes destroyed an ISIL weapons cache and two vehicle-bomb facilities.
• Near Hit, two strikes destroyed an ISIL headquarters building, a command-and-control node and a weapons facility.
• Near Mosul, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle, two mortar systems and an artillery system.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

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)

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 on Thursday.

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 10 strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, seven strikes destroyed 21 ISIL supply routes, an oil well head and two oil tanker trucks.
• Near Dayz Az Zawr, a strike destroyed an ISIL oil well head and an oil tanker truck.
• Near Mara, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two fighting positions and a mortar system.

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, two strikes engaged an ISIL chemical weapons storage facility and destroyed a rocket system, a rocket rail and a mortar system.
• Near Qaim, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a building.
• Near Mosul, a strike engaged an ISIL bomb factory.
• Near Qayyarah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three mortar systems, a fighting position, four rocket rails, a tunnel and inoperable coalition equipment.
• Near Sinjar, a strike destroyed an ISIL tractor trailer, a front-end loader and a fighting position.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, four strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit, two headquarters buildings and a vehicle bomb factory. Twenty-five watercraft, a headquarters building and the vehicle bomb factory were destroyed. A mortar position was 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 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 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)