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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 Monday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported on Tuesday.

Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack and fighter aircraft conducted seven strikes in Syria:

• Near Raqqah, two strikes destroyed two ISIL oil pumpjacks, an oil tank and a headquarters building.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed 13 ISIL oil tanker trucks and a tractor trailer.
• Near Manbij, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.

Strikes in Iraq

Bomber, fighter, and attack aircraft conducted seven strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Beiji, a strike destroyed an ISIL rocket rail and a cave entrance.
• Near Kisik, a strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, two tunnel entrances, an observation post and a rocket firing position.
• Near Mosul, four strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed an assembly area, a fighting position, a vehicle and a headquarters building.
• Near Ramadi, a strike destroyed a rocket 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 Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the 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 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 and fighter aircraft conducted nine strikes in Syria:

• Near Raqqah, six strikes destroyed eight ISIL trailers, three oil pump jacks, and 42 oil tanker trucks.
• Near Manbij, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed two vehicles and a fighting position.
• Near Mar'a, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system.

Strikes in Iraq

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

• Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed two ISIL communication towers.
• Near Ramadi, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an assembly area, a fighting position, and two vehicles.

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 a 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, the region, 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 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, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)

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

A new crisis between Iraq and Saudi Arabia has emerged over Riyadh's ambassador to Baghdad Thamer al-Sabhan amid calls by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (pictured) to replace him.

Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmad Jamal said Aug. 28, “Saudi Ambassador Thamer al-Sabhan made several media statements that went beyond the bounds of diplomatic protocol and functions of any ambassador. Therefore, we believe that Sabhan is impeding the development of the bilateral relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.”

He added, “The Iraqi government sent a request to the Saudi government to replace current Saudi Ambassador Thamer al-Sabhan."

Sabhan is the first Saudi ambassador to Iraq after a break of 25 years that followed the Iraqi army’s entry into Kuwait in 1990. This crisis will create a bad relationship between the two countries, knowing that a diplomatic reconciliation was brought about over a year ago between the two countries as Sabhan was appointed as the first ambassador to Saudi Arabia on June 2, 2015.

While forecasts indicated the possibility of a new diplomatic atmosphere between the two neighboring countries, the results proved otherwise.

While Jamal chose not to respond to Al-Monitor, Saad al-Hadithi, the Iraqi government spokesman, commented that this is part of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry’s tasks.

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, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 11 strikes in Syria:

• Near Raqqah, a strike destroyed three ISIL cranes.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed an ISIL tanker truck.
• Near Manbij, eight strikes engaged seven ISIL tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions, a logistical hub, a vehicle bomb, an anti-air artillery system, and two vehicles.
• Near Mar’a, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.

Strikes in Iraq

Coalition military forces used rocket artillery and fighter and remotely piloted aircraft to conduct eight strikes, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

• Near Hit, a strike destroyed two ISIL buildings and two vehicles.
• Near Mosul, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and a financial storage center, and destroyed an assembly area, a command and control node, a rocket system, five rocket rails, two fighting positions, a bulldozer, and a vehicle.
• Near Ramadi, two strikes engaged two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three buildings, two mortar caches, a vehicle, and a mortar system.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes engaged an ISIL weapons cache and a building.
• Near Tal Afar, a strike produced inconclusive results.

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 a 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, the region, 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 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, the 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 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, three strikes destroyed four ISIL tanker trucks and a pumpjack.
• Near Raqqah, three strikes engaged an ISIL vehicle bomb facility and destroyed three oil tanker trucks, a tank and two tactical vehicles.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed an ISIL pumpjack.
• Near Mara, a strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position and a mortar system.

Strikes in Iraq

Fighter, ground attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted eight strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Baghdadi, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a building.
• Near Beiji, a strike damaged an ISIL mortar system.
• Near Haditha, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a building.
• Near Hit, a strike destroyed an ISIL bunker.
• Near Kisik, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three fighting positions and a weapons cache.
• Near Mosul, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed a tunnel and two assembly areas.
• Near Ramadi, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a building 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 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 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, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the 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 Monday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported on Tuesday.

Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Bomber, fighter, attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted nine strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed inoperable coalition equipment.
• Near Raqqah, a strike destroyed an ISIL oil pumpjack.
• Near Manbij, six strikes engaged four separate ISIL tactical units, destroying a fighting position, a vehicle, a tank and two vehicle bombs.
• Near Palmyra, a strike destroyed 10 ISIL weapons cache bunkers.

Strikes in Iraq

Bomber and fighter aircraft conducted seven strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Albu Hayat, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle and a medium machine gun.
• Near Mosul, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four rocket rails.
• Near Ramadi, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit, and destroyed two fighting positions, a vehicle, a command-and-control node and a heavy machine gun.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two fighting positions.
• Near Tal Afar, a strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions 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 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, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)

By John Lee.

BBC News reports that Iraq has called on Saudi Arabia to replace its ambassador to Baghdad over comments he made about Iran's involvement in Iraq.

Thamer al Sabhan had said Iranian-backed Shia militia are aggravating tensions with Sunni Muslims in Iraq, and allegedly accused the militia of trying to assassinate him.

The Saudi embassy in Baghdad only reopened in December after being closed since the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait more than 25 years ago.

(Source: BBC News)

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

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Fighter aircraft conducted two strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIL wellhead.
• Near Raqqah, a strike destroyed an ISIL pumpjack.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter and ground attack aircraft conducted 13 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Bashir, a strike destroyed an ISIL checkpoint.
• Near Haditha, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.
• Near Mosul, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroyed three vehicles and a mortar position.
• Near Qayyarah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroyed a mortar system, a vehicle, five assembly areas, a supply cache, a front-end loader and denied access to terrain.
• Near Ramadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, a vehicle and a boat and damaged a fighting position.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike struck an ISIL security headquarters.

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 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, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)

By Simon Kent.

Unconfirmed reports suggest a Saudi Arabian national under the nom de guerre "Abu Wathbah al-Saudi," has been shot dead in Mosul, the last urban stronghold of the self declared Islamic State. The terrorist's role was apparently the recruitment of child soldiers.

If true, it would only be one in a string of assassinations of IS members in the city. Last year, it was reported that two IS members were shot dead in Mosul by men smoking cigarettes on a street corner. In an apparent trap, the IS fighters were killed as they approached the men to arrest them for smoking, which is strictly forbidden in IS territory. Other reports suggest Sunni resistance groups have reported IS locations to Coalition warplanes.

(Source: Iraqi News)

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. 

On July 26, the Iraqi government announced that the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) will be converted into “an independent military formation affiliated with the armed forces’ commander-in-chief.” The Shiite force was formed in June 2014 in response to religious calls to take up arms against the Islamic State (IS).

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s decision sparked an uproar among Iraq’s Kurds and Sunnis. On Aug. 14, the Kurdish news site Rudaw collected the opinions of analysts and ordinary citizens, all of whom criticized the move as a step toward forming a parallel military force.

Other reports claimed that the government’s decision to take control of the PMU, which participated in the liberation of Salahuddin, Ramadi and Fallujah and are planning to join the battle for Mosul, reflects “a plan to establish a guard similar to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

Qasim Mozan, a reporter for the Iraqi Media Network, told Al-Monitor the government’s decision will “turn the PMU into a security force that follows the orders of the prime minister, [which would allow him] to fix any security gap [within the PMU] in a swift and efficient manner.”

Journalist Hassan al-Shanoun told Al-Monitor, “This project will distance the PMU from partisan and sectarian influence and will strengthen the government’s power [over the PMU] while weakening the political blocs that are part of the PMU factions.”

PMU leader Ahmed al-Assadi supported Abadi’s decision. He told Al-Monitor, “The PMU will turn into a government force that is independent from the political parties’ control, as it will report directly to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Abadi.”

The PMU are currently associated with known political forces such as the Peace Brigades led by the Sadrist movement, the Ashura Brigades affiliated with the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq headed by Mahdi Army defector Sheikh Qais al-Khazali, the Hezbollah Brigades with their ties to Lebanese Hezbollah, and the Badr organization led by parliament member Hadi al-Amiri.

Many factions part of the PMU today will probably wish for the organization to remain in its current form and serve as a legal cover for them to exercise their influence in a role similar to that of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Nevertheless, Assadi commented, “The factions that refuse to turn [the PMU] into an independent government force will be considered outlaws.”