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

Why some Iraqi Shiites are pushing for Distance from Iran

Iraq’s Shiites are witnessing a political-religious rift in their stance toward Iran whose development can be traced back to 2003. While some express complete loyalty to the Shiite political regime in Tehran, others object to its regional policies, including toward Iraq, and distance from it.

In one example, the predominantly Shiite Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) held a military parade July 1 in Basra. They destroyed US and Israeli flags and burned photos of Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud. The march sparked criticism and anger among some Shiites, because the United States has friendly relations with Iraq and is supporting its security forces in their war against the Islamic State (IS). Also, given the state competition in the region, hostility toward Saudi Arabia is not in Iraq’s interest.

In a related development, differing attitudes could be detected surrounding the demonstrations on International Quds Day, July 1, essentially reflecting the debate over whether Iraqi Shiites should be affiliated with Iran or pursue interests and priorities different from those of the Tehran government. At Quds Day protests organized by the PMU faction Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq in Najaf, a religious hub for Shiite clerics, there was no marked presence of clerics.

In contrast, in Qom, Najaf’s religious competitor that receives funding from Iran, a remarkable number of clerics attended the annual protest. Jihad al-Asadi, an instructor in the religious seminary at Najaf, told Al-Monitor, “The Najaf seminary does not support any political agenda outside Iraqi national interests.”

On July 2, Interior Minister Mohammed al-Ghabban issued an order referring “several officers and policemen from the Basra police to an investigative council and implementation of the sanctions cited in the Penal Code of the Internal Security Forces” for their participation in the Quds Day protests because of its political nature.

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

• Bomber and fighter aircraft conducted three strikes near Manbij in Syria, striking three separate ISIL tactical units and destroying nine ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL command-and-control node and 12 ISIL vehicles.

Strikes in Iraq

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

• Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed three ISIL weapons caches.
• Near Hit, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Kisik, a strike destroyed an ISIL supply cache and suppressed an ISIL sniper position.
• Near Mosul, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and seven ISIL media sites and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
• Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL mortar system and an ISIL bomb factory.
• Near Ramadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar system.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and suppressed two ISIL mortar positions and an ISIL machine gun position.
• Near Tal Afar, a strike struck an ISIL media site.

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 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

Bomber, attack, ground-attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 12 strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed two ISIL oil wellheads.
• Near Manbij, 11 strikes struck eight separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 22 ISIL fighting positions.

Strikes in Iraq

Rocket artillery and attack and fighter aircraft conducted 11 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

• Near Baghdadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL beddown location and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
• Near Beiji, a strike destroyed three ISIL tunnel entrances and an ISIL tunnel vent.
• Near Mosul, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL security headquarters and destroyed two ISIL vehicles.
• Near Qayyarah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL mortar systems, 14 ISIL rocket rails and an ISIL vehicle and denied ISIL access to terrain.
• Near Ramadi, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
• Near Sinjar, two strikes destroyed an ISIL mortar system and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL 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 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, 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 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

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

• Near Abu Kamal, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
• Near Raqqah, a strike struck two ISIL oil pump jacks.
• Near Manbij, seven strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed nine ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL tactical vehicle and a house ISIL had rigged with explosives.

Strikes in Iraq

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

• Near Habbaniyah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
• Near Mosul, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL supply cache, two ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL bunker and an ISIL vehicle-borne-bomb facility and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
• Near Qayyarah, a strike destroyed two ISIL mortar systems, 11 ISIL oil tankers, an ISIL supply cache and an ISIL assembly area.
• Near Ramadi, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar system and an ISIL bulldozer.
• Near Tal Afar, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle-borne bomb.

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, 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, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 12 strikes in Syria:

• Near Raqqah, a strike destroyed an ISIL front-end loader.
• Near Shadaddi, a strike destroyed an ISIL excavator.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed two ISIL oil wellheads.
• Near Manbij, nine strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units, destroyed 14 ISIL fighting positions and damaged two separate ISIL fighting positions.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 15 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Habbaniyah, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb.
• Near Haditha, a strike destroyed two ISIL vehicles.
• Near Hit, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL mortar systems and an ISIL mortar cache.
• Near Kisik, a strike destroyed an ISIL assembly area.
• Near Mosul, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas.
• Near Qayyarah, four strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL weapons storage facility and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL tactical vehicle, and four ISIL mortar systems and denied ISIL access to terrain.
• Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, destroyed four ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL staging area, and damaged a separate ISIL fighting position.
• Near Sinjar, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas.

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

Strikes in Syria

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 16 strikes in Syria:

• Near Raqqah, two strikes struck an ISIL used-bridge and destroyed an ISIL oil wellhead and three ISIL pump jacks.
• Near Manbij, 14 strikes struck nine separate ISIL tactical units, destroyed 17 ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL logistics hub and an ISIL artillery piece and damaged an ISIL fighting position.

Strikes in Iraq

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

• Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL communication relay tower.
• Near Bashir, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and ISIL assembly area.
• Near Kisik, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
• Near Qayyarah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit; destroyed an ISIL vehicle, three ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL assembly area, an ISIL excavator, an ISIL mortar system and three ISIL boats and denied ISIL access to terrain.
• Near Sinjar, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting 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 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 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

Bomber, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 12 strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed five ISIL oil wellheads.
• Near Manbij, 10 strikes struck eight separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed nine ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL-used bridge, an ISIL headquarters and an ISIL artillery piece.
• Near Mara, a strike produced inconclusive results.

Strikes in Iraq

Bomber, attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 14 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL bunker.
• Near Huwayjah, a strike struck an ISIL vehicle bomb factory.
• Near Mosul, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL supply caches, an ISIL weapons cache, five ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL mortar system.
• Near Qayyarah, five strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL rocket storage facility; destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL headquarters, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL assembly area and an ISIL vehicle; and denied ISIL access to terrain.
• Near Ramadi, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL supply cache, two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL vehicle, four ISIL front-end loaders and an ISIL tactical vehicle.
• Near Sinjar, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL mortar systems and an ISIL assembly area.

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 Iraq and Syria 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, fighter, ground attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 14 strikes in Syria:

• Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed an ISIL oil pump jack and five ISIL oil wellheads.
• Near Raqqah, a strike struck an ISIL-used bridge.
• Near Manbij, 11 strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions and two ISIL-used bridges and damaged a separate ISIL-used bridge.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 15 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Baghdadi, three strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb, an ISIL mortar system and two ISIL weapons caches.
• Near Huwayjah, a strike destroyed an ISIL bunker and an ISIL tunnel.
• Near Mosul, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL artillery piece and an ISIL weapons cache.
• Near Qayyarah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit; destroyed four ISIL vehicles, an ISIL mortar system and an ISIL artillery piece; damaged an ISIL-used road; and denied ISIL access to terrain.
• Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, two ISIL fighting positions and two ISIL mortar systems and damaged a separate ISIL fighting position.
• Near Rawah, a strike struck an ISIL weapons factory.
• Near Sinjar, a strike destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL mortar system.
• Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL improvised weapons factory and destroyed an ISIL command and control node, an ISIL headquarters and an ISIL bed-down location.

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 Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 13 strikes in Syria near Manbij that struck eight separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 21 ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL tactical vehicle.

In a separate action, fighter aircraft conducted a strike in Syria near Raqqah, where a strike struck inoperable coalition equipment, denying ISIL access to it.

Due to an administrative error, two strikes were not reported and an additional strike was misreported near Ayn Isa in Syria on the combined joint task force’s release yesterday, officials said. The release should have read that near Manbij, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.

Strikes in Iraq

Fighter, attack, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 14 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL bunker.
• Near Huwayjah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL front-end loader and denied ISIL access to terrain.
• Near Beiji, a strike destroyed an ISIL command-and-control node.
• Near Kisik, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area and suppressed an ISIL rocket firing position.
• Near Mosul, a strike struck an ISIL vehicle bomb factory.
• Near Qayyarah, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL rocket system and an ISIL headquarters.
• Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 10 ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL artillery piece, an ISIL vehicle, two ISIL rocket-propelled-grenade systems, five ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL boat and an ISIL sniper position.
• Near Waleed, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL fighting 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 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 Iraq and Syria on Saturday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported on Sunday.

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

Strikes in Syria

Attack and bomber and remotely piloted aircraft conducted eight strikes in Syria:

• Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed two ISIL cranes and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Manbij, six strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.

Strikes in Iraq

Fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 15 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

• Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
• Near Beiji, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and denied ISIL access to terrain.
• Near Mosul, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed eight ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL command and control node and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
• Near Qayyarah, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL assembly areas, three ISIL mortar systems, an ISIL mortar position, two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL front-end loader, two ISIL bulldozers and an ISIL oil tanker.
• Near Ramadi, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, five ISIL vehicles, an ISIL light machine gun, and an ISIL boat and damaged an ISIL fighting position.
• Near Tal Afar, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, an ISIL improvised weapons factory, and an ISIL-used bridge and destroyed an ISIL bunker.

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)