Military reports – March 2016

Monthly summary: Below are all known daily Coalition military reports relating to the air war against Islamic State/ Daesh in Iraq and Syria for March 2016. We have also included relevant video and photo releases, as well as indicating where any known alleged civilian or ‘friendly fire’ casualties have been reported

March 1st-March 2nd 2016
Iraq 14 strikes (7,149-7,162)
Syria 7 strikes (3,563-3,569)
Confirmed actions: US, UK

From CJTF-OIR:
On Mar. 1, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hawl, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Ar Raqqah, one strike struck an ISIL security headquarters.
*       Near Manbij, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL buildings and two ISIL mortar positions.
*       Near Mar’a, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

*       Near Al Qaim, one strike struck an ISIL headquarters.
*       Near Albu Hayat, one strike suppressed an ISIL artillery piece.
*       Near Bayji, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Fallujah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Habbaniyah, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Mosul, three strikes struck an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) facility and an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL vehicles and two ISIL assembly areas.
*       Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units.
*       Near Sinjar, two strikes destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIrTGBFHMaM

From UK MoD:
‘Tuesday 1 March – Typhoons destroyed a 122mm howitzer in western Iraq…Whilst RAF Tornado GR4s conducted extensive reconnaissance missions against suspected terrorist locations, RAF Typhoon FGR4s patrolled over western Iraq on 1 March to support Iraqi army operations south-east of Haditha. One of the few large artillery pieces operated by Daesh – a D-30 122mm howitzer – was located close to the Euphrates, and was successfully destroyed by a Paveway IV precision guided bomb.’

 

March 2nd-March 3rd 2016
Iraq 21 strikes (7,163-7,183)
Syria 8 strikes (3,570-3,577)
Confirmed actions: US, UK
3-7 civilians, including 1-2 children, alleged killed at Ar Raqqah, Al Raqqah governorate, Syria

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 2, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 21 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, ground-attack, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hasakah, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, three ISIL buildings, an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
*       Near Mar’a, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and three ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Palmyra, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed six ISIL vehicles and three ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Tal Abyad, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed ISIL communication equipment.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Al Huwayjah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and two ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Habbaniyah, one strike destroyed an ISIL anti-air artillery piece.
*       Near Kisik, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed 27 ISIL rocket rails.
*       Near Mosul, seven strikes [2 British] struck four ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL vehicles, 12 ISIL assembly areas, and 25 ISIL bed-down locations, and suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.
*       Near Ramadi, three strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL front-end loader, an ISIL bed down location, and an ISIL petroleum, oil and lubricant truck.
*       Near Samarra, two strikes struck two separate large ISIL tactical units and destroyed 9 ISIL vehicles, three ISIL VBIEDs, an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL supply cache, and three ISIL fuel trucks.
*       Near Sinjar, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL assembly area, an ISIL mortar position, and suppressed an ISIL mortar fire position.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.’

Update from French MoD for 2 March:
[From 24 February – 1 March reports 6 strikes in Iraq and 1 strike in Raqqa Syria on 25 February]

‘État-major des armées | 2 mars 2016

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mOdyUOu9uk

From UK MoD:
‘Wednesday 2 March – Tornados and Typhoons conducted eight attacks on rocket-launchers, vehicles, a mortar team, and massed terrorists in northern Iraq, whilst a Reaper destroyed an armed vehicle in eastern Syria…On 2 March, Typhoons were active over a wide swathe of northern Iraq, providing close air support to the Kurdish security forces. East of Mosul, Paveways were used to destroy two groups of terrorists with vehicles, the aircraft then flew west to the area north-east of Tall Afar where they conducted a series of four Paveway attacks on a number of rocket-launchers and a stockpile of rockets. A second Typhoon mission bombed a Daesh mortar team south of Sinjar, while a pair of Tornado GR4s used a Paveway to demolish a building north of Mosul where a large group of terrorists had been observed. In eastern Syria, an RAF Reaper worked closely with other coalition aircraft to support Syrian Democratic Forces south-west of As Shadadi, as they followed up on their recent successes against Daesh in the region. A coalition surveillance aircraft identified a terrorist truck, armed with an anti-aircraft gun, concealed in an orchard, and passed the target to the Reaper for prosecution. A Hellfire missile scored a direct hit on the vehicle.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 3rd-March 4th 2016
Iraq 8 strikes (7,184-7,191)
Syria 6 strikes (3,578-3,583)
Confirmed actions: US, UK

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 3, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hasakah, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL vehicle, and damaged an ISIL tunnel system.
*       Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes struck two ISIL petroleum pipelines.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL sniper position.
*       Near Bayji, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed 16 ISIL vehicles.
*       Near Fallujah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Kisik, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL supply cache.
*       Near Mosul, one strike [1 British] destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Sinjar, two strikes [1 British] destroyed three ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL fighting positions, and two ISIL assembly areas.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL bed down location, and three ISIL fighting positions.’

Update from UK MoD:
‘Thursday 3 March – Typhoons destroyed two buildings in northern Iraq where Daesh terrorists were gathered, as well as two heavy machine-gun positions….Typhoons were in action again near Mosul on 3 March, they used Paveways to destroy two buildings where Daesh terrorists were possibly planning an attack. Later that night, Typhoons also bombed two heavy machine-gun positions south-west of Sinjar.’

Update from French MoD for week ending 3 March 2016:
[Declares 143 strikes in Iraq since 1 January 2016 and 6 strikes in Syria since 1 January 2016 and 1 strike in Raqqa, Syria since February 24 2016]

‘Chammal : Point de situation au 3 mars 2016

Situation tactique en Irak

La situation sécuritaire et les lignes de front en Irak n’ont pas évolué au cours de la semaine écoulée. Les mauvaises conditions météorologiques de cette semaine ont ralenti les opérations aériennes de la coalition

Sous la pression offensive des forces irakiennes, l’organisation terroriste est contrainte d’adopter une posture défensive après les défaites subies à Sinjar, Ramadi et Baiji. Pour le moment, elle n’est pas en mesure de reprendre l’ascendant en Irak ; elle en est réduite à conduire des actions de harcèlement. Les frappes conduites dans la profondeur du dispositif de Daechet sur les axes empruntés par l’ennemi, ont considérablement affaibli ses capacités de mouvement, tandis que les pertes territoriales et les frappes visant les capacités de financement de l’organisation rendent de plus en plus difficile la gouvernance qu’elle tente de mettre en place dans les zones sous son contrôle.

Cependant, localement, ses capacités militaires sont encore très solides.

Bilan hebdomadaire des frappes

Depuis le 24 février 2016, 71 sorties ont été effectuées, dont 15 sorties dédiées aux missions de reconnaissance et 56 aux missions de bombardement sur des objectifs planifiés ou d’opportunité.

Les différentes frappes conduites par les aéronefs français ont permis de détruire 13 objectifs tenus par Daech. Le 25 février, intégrée dans un raid de la coalition, une patrouille composée de trois Mirage 2000D a détruit un dépôt d’armement tenu par Daechdans la région de Raqquah en Syrie.

Bilan de la composante aérienne de Chammal : 222 objectifs détruits en 2016

Depuis le 1er janvier 2016, les équipages de la force Chammalont réalisé 646 sorties aériennes. Au total, ils ont mené 143 frappes et détruit 222 objectifs tenus par l’organisation terroriste au Levant. En Syrie, les chasseurs français ont frappé à six reprises, détruisant 23 objectifs.’

March 4th-March 5th 2016
Iraq 12 strikes (7,192-7,203)
Syria 2 strikes (3,584-3,585)
Confirmed actions: US, UK

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 4, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes using rocket artillery and attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, ground-attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hawl, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed six ISIL buildings and two ISIL vehicles.
*       Near Palmyra, one strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and damaged an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL rocket rail and an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Albu Hayat, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
*       Near Fallujah, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL bed down location.
*       Near Kisik, two strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, two ISIL mortar positions, four ISIL VBIEDs, and seven ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Mosul, one strike destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.
*       Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL rocket position.
*       Near Ramadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL staging area, an ISIL tunnel, and an ISIL front end loader.
*       Near Sinjar, one strike [1 British] destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.
*       Near Tal Afar, two strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area.’

Update from UK MoD:
‘Friday 4 March – Typhoons conducted three attacks in northern Iraq against Daesh positions…The Typhoons continued to provide close air support to the Iraqi and Kurdish forces in northern Iraq on Friday 4 March, delivering three attacks with Paveway IVs against Daesh positions near Tall Afar, Kisik and Sinjar.’

 

March 5th-March 6th 2016
Iraq 13 strikes (7,204-7,216)
Syria 6 strikes (3,586-3,591)
Confirmed actions: US, UK, France
18-21 civilians, including children, alleged killed at Mosul, Nineveh province, Iraq

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 5, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes using fighter, attack, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 13 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hasakah, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL vehicle, and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device, and suppressed an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Manbij, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL building, two ISIL vehicles, and an ISIL anti-air artillery piece.

Iraq

*       Near Bayji, one strike suppressed an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Hit, two strikes [Two French] struck an ISIL improvised weapons factory and an ISIL weapons storage facility.
*       Near Kirkuk, one strike destroyed three ISIL bulldozers.
*       Near Kisik, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Mosul, two strikes struck an ISIL weapons production facility and destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
*       Near Qayyarah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Ramadi, two strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL front end-loader.
*       Near Sinjar, two strikes destroyed an ISIL fighting position and suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun position and an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Tal Afar, one strike destroyed an ISIL assembly area.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01b4AfSdbrs

Update from UK MoD:
‘Saturday 5 March – Typhoons used 16 Paveway bombs to destroy a large weapons factory in western Iraq…On Saturday 5 March, four Typhoons joined other coalition aircraft in a large coordinated operation against terrorist locations in western Iraq. The RAFaircraft targeted a large Daesh weapons factory in the countryside near Qubaysah, some miles west of Ramadi. The Typhoons released a total of 16 Paveways, which completely demolished workshops and storage sheds.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdArmuVODY0

Update from French MoD for 5 March 2016:
[Reports 2 strikes near Hit, Iraq]
‘Le 5 mars, 1 patrouille de 2 Mirage 2000D et 1 patrouille de 2 Rafale ont pris part à un raid dans la région de Hit en Irak. Menée conjointement avec des aéronefs de la coalition, cette mission a permis de réaliser 2 frappes distinctes sur des dépôts d’armement de Daech.’

 

Video of two French strikes on A Daesh arms depot, near Hit, March 5

 

March 6th-March 7th 2016
Iraq 12 strikes (7,217-7,228)
Syria 6 strikes (3,592-3,597)
Confirmed actions: US, UK, France

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 6, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes using attack and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hasakah, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL building, four ISIL vehicles, and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
*       Near Ayn Isa, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle.
*       Near Fallujah, one strike destroyed an ISIL front-end loader.
*       Near Habbaniyah, one strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL heavy machine gun position.
*       Near Kisik, one strike destroyed an ISIL rocket rail.
*       Near Mosul, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Qayyarah, one strike struck an ISIL used bridge.
*       Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle.
*       Near Sinjar, one strike [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position, and three ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position and three ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Tikrit, two strikes [2 French] struck an ISIL improvised weapons factory and an ISIL headquarters.’

Update from UK MoD:
‘Sunday 6 March – Typhoons supported Kurdish forces, silencing a heavy machine-gun position…The following day [Sunday 6 March], a Typhoon mission returned to northern Iraq and assisted Kurdish forces south-west of Sinjar, who had come under fire from a terrorist heavy machine-gun team. A Paveway IV destroyed the target.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update from French MoD for 6 March 2016:
[Reports 2 strikes near Tikrit, Iraq]
‘Le 6 mars, 1 patrouille constituée de 5 Mirage 2000D a mené 1 raid dans la région de Tikrit. Cette mission a permis de réaliser 2 frappes distinctes sur des sites d’assemblage et de stockage de véhicules suicides.’

 

March 7th-March 8th 2016
Iraq 17 strikes (7,229-7,245)
Syria 7 strikes (3,598-3,604)
Confirmed actions: US, UK, France
6 civilians alleged killed at Mosul, Nineveh province, Iraq
12 civilians alleged killed at Hit, Anbar province, Iraq

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 7, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes using ground-attack, attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 17 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery, attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Ayn Isa, one strike destroyed an ISIL house borne improvised explosive device (HBIED).
*       Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes [1 French] struck a large ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL gas and oil separation plant modular refinery, and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Mar’a, four strikes struck three ISIL tactical units and an ISIL facility, and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL heavy machine gun position, and an ISIL building.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL staging area, and an ISIL rocket position.
*       Near Bayji, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.
*       Near Fallujah, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
*       Near Habbaniya, one strike destroyed an ISIL tunnel.
*       Near Haditha, one strike destroyed an ISIL supply cache.
*       Near Kisik, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area.
*       Near Mosul, three strikes struck two ISIL headquarters and destroyed an ISIL assembly area.
*       Near Qayyarah, one strike struck an ISIL used bridge.
*       Near Ramadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar position, and two ISIL supply caches.
*       Near Sinjar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, and an ISIL artillery piece.
*       Near Waleed, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL supply cache.’

Update from UK MoD:
‘Monday 7 March – a Reaper destroyed a terrorist-held building in western Iraq…Reaper remotely piloted aircraft have also been extremely active over the period, primarily flying surveillance missions. An attack was conducted by a Reaper the morning of Monday 7 March, when a Hellfire missile was used to destroy a Daesh-held building in western Iraq, close to the Syrian border.’

‘Monday 7 March – Typhoons bombed Daesh extremists engaged in combat with Kurdish troops in northern Iraq…On the evening of Monday 7 March, a Typhoon patrol assisted Kurdish peshmerga fighting a group of terrorists near Kisik by attacking the Daesh position with a Paveway IV precision guided bomb.’

Update from French MoD for 7 March 2016:
[Reports 1strike near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria]
‘Le 7 mars, 1 patrouille de 2 Mirage 2000D a réalisé 1 frappe dans la région de Der Eiz Zor en Syrie. Cette mission a permis de détruire un site pétrolier et de véhicules de l’organisation terroriste.’

Update from Dutch MoD for week ending Monday 7 March:
[Reports flying about 10 missions over Iraq and eastern Syria targeting Daesh military and strategic targets, including a weapons factory and a Daesh arsenal]

‘Strijd tegen ISIS

In het Midden-Oosten voerden Nederlandse F-16’s boven Irak en Oost-Syrië ongeveer 10 missies uit. Hierbij zetten zij wapens in tegen militaire middelen en strategische doelen, zoals een wapenfabriek en een wapenopslagplaats van terreurorganisatie ISIS.
In Irak slaagden cursisten voor de Commando Course en de Commando Instructor Course. Deze cursussen worden gegeven door Nederlandse militaire instructeurs en collega’s van coalitielanden. In de omgeving van Erbil is op de diverse trainingscentra de Modern Brigade Course gestart. Hierbij worden infanteristen en specialisten in 10 weken (deels gezamenlijk) opgeleid om vervolgens terug te keren naar het front.
Uit gegevens van de Amerikaans-geleide coalitie blijkt dat door de intensieve wapeninzet van de afgelopen tijd tegen de olieproductie en -handel, de inkomsten voor ISIS met 30% verminderden. De coalitie zette ook meerdere keren wapens in tegen geldopslagplaatsen van ISIS. Daarbij zijn honderden miljoenen dollars vernietigd. Door de uitwisseling van informatie binnen de coalitie worden kopstukken van ISIS in beeld gebracht. Dit helpt bovendien bij het in kaart brengen van smokkelroutes. Verder is te achterhalen wat de veelgebruikte grensovergangen zijn. Door de aanhoudende inzet van de coalitie zijn grote stukken grondgebied op ISIS heroverd. Meer dan 500.000 Irakezen die binnen hun land waren gevlucht, kunnen hierdoor weer terug naar huis. In de omgeving van Tikrit hebben 90.000 Irakezen inmiddels weer toegang tot drinkwater en gezondheidscentra.’

 

March 8th-March 9th 2016
Iraq 11 strikes (7,246-7,256)
Syria 6 strikes (3,605-3,610)
Confirmed actions: US, UK 

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 8, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed two ISIL cranes.
*       Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes struck an ISIL modular refinery and an ISIL natural gas processing plant.
*       Near Mar’a, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

*       Near Kisik, one strike [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Mosul, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, two ISIL vehicles, and an ISIL assembly area.
*       Near Ramadi, three strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed six ISIL fighting positions, five ISIL vehicles, and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
*       Near Sinjar, one strike [1 British] destroyed five ISIL fighting positions and two ISIL mortar fire positions.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar fire position and an ISIL assembly area and suppressed an ISIL fighting position.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qqgONzdKgw

From UK MoD:
‘Tuesday 8 March – Tornados and Typhoons conducted three attacks in northern Iraq, including a large-scale strike on a fortified former village…Patrols over northern Iraq continued on Tuesday 8 March. Near Kisik, Tornados used a Paveway against a terrorist position, while a Typhoon flight silenced a heavy machine-gun position with a direct hit from a Paveway. The Typhoons were then tasked to use their remaining Paveway bombs to strike seven strongpoints in a village south of Sinjar, where Daesh had driven out the civilian population and were using it as a defensive base against the Kurdish advance. All seven Paveways struck their targets accurately.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 9th-March 10th 2016
Iraq 15 strikes (7,257-7,271)
Syria 5 strikes (3,611-3,615)
Confirmed actions: US, UK
69 civilians alleged killed at Asriya near Hit, Anbar province, Iraq

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 9, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted five strikes using attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 15 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and ground-attack, attack, and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Ar Raqqah, two strikes struck an ISIL headquarters and an ISIL logistics facility.
*       Near Al Hawl, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
*       Near Mar’a, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Kirkuk, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Kisik, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Mosul, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL rocket rail.
*       Near Ramadi, four strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL supply caches, 11 ISIL improvised explosive devices (IED), three ISIL vehicles, an ISIL VBIED, and denied ISIL access to terrain.
*       Near Sinjar, five strikes [2 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area, an ISIL tactical vehicle, 12 ISIL rocket rails, an ISIL supply cache, and six ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Tal Afar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.’

From UK MoD:
‘Wednesday 9 March – Tornados and Typhoons conducted four attacks in northern and western Iraq, including a further large-scale strike on another fortified former village…On Wednesday 9 March, the Typhoons patrolled south of Sinjar. A vehicle used by Daesh to construct defensive positions, was destroyed by a Paveway. A second deserted village taken over by the terrorists as a fortified haven, near Ranbusi, was then attacked with six targets successfully struck by Paveways. Further south, Tornado GR4s were providing close air support to Iraqi forces in the Euphrates river valley. A Paveway was used against a group of terrorists in the open, whilst a further pair of Paveways accounted for two heavy machine-gun positions.’

Update from French MoD for  9 March 2016:
[From 2 – 8 March reports 12 strikes in Iraq – including 2 near Hit and 2 near Tikrit – and 1 strike in Syria, near Dayr Az Zawr]

Chammal : 13 frappes dont 5 planifiées et 42 objectifs de Daech détruits en Irak et en Syrie cette semaine

État-major des armées | 9 mars 2016

 

March 10th-March 11th 2016
Iraq 13 strikes (7,272-7,284)
Syria 1 strike (3,616)
Confirmed actions: US, UK

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 10, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted one strike using attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 13 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Mar’a, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

Iraq

*       Near Kisik, one strike destroyed six ISIL fighting positions and six ISIL staging areas.
*       Near Makhmur, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) and an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Mosul, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area.
*       Near Ramadi, four strikes [3 British] struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, two ISIL supply caches, an ISIL anti-air artillery piece, two ISIL staging areas, and two ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Sinjar, three strikes destroyed an ISIL supply cache and two ISIL mortar firing positions and damaged four ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Tal Afar, one strike [1 British] destroyed an ISIL rocket system.
*       Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL facility and an ISIL bed down location.’

From UK MoD:
‘Thursday 10 March – Tornados and Typhoons conducted five attacks in northern and western Iraq, destroying a weapons cache and several Daesh fighting positions…Both Tornados and Typhoons were active over the Euphrates valley the next day, Thursday 10 March, assisting Iraqi forces as they cleared Daesh positions to the west of Ramadi. A Tornado mission targeted a terrorist weapons cache concealed under the ramp of a destroyed bridge over the Euphrates, using two Paveways. At the same time a Typhoon mission conducted successful strikes on a heavy machine-gun team and a group of extremists engaged in close combat with Iraqi troops. In the north of the country, a Typhoon flight attacked a rocket launch point near Tall Afar, then dropped Paveways on six Daesh positions in the Kisik area where Kurdish forces had spotted terrorists preparing for a possible attack.’

French Tweet reporting 694 flights in Iraq/Suria, 156 strikes against Daesh and 264 objects destroyed since 1 Jan 2016

 

March 11th-March 12th 2016
Iraq 9 strikes (7,285-7,293)
Syria 8 strike (3,617-3,624)
Confirmed actions: US, UK, France

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 11, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted nine strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hawl, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL mortar systems.
*       Near Dayr Ar Zawr, one strike [1 French] struck an ISIL gas and oil separation plant well head.
*       Near Manbij, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL vehicles and an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Mar’a, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL artillery piece, two ISIL weapons caches, 10 ISIL fighting positions, and an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.
*       Near Hit, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Ramadi, five strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL rocket position, two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL fighting position and three ISIL tunnel systems and denied ISIL access to terrain.
*       Near Sinjar, two strikes [2 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL weapons cache.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA4dxpZPMrU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7mhY_9sk8I

Update from UK MoD for Friday 11 March 2016:
‘Friday 11 March – a Reaper conducted two attacks, and assisted three other coalition attacks, against Daesh extremists west of Sinjar…On Friday 11 March, a Reaper worked with coalition jets to attack terrorists to the west of Sinjar. The Reaper provided targeting assistance for three successful coalition air attacks on groups of Daesh fighters, it then conducted two attacks of its own using Hellfire missiles.’

Update from French MoD for 11 March:
[Reports 1 strike on a Daesh oil facility near Dayr Ar Zawr]

‘Le 11 mars, une patrouille de 2 Mirage 2000D a réalisé une frappe dans la région de Der Eiz Zor permettant la destruction d’une installation pétrolière utilisée par Daech à des fins opérationnelle’

 

March 12th-March 13th 2016
Iraq 12 strikes (7,294-7,305)
Syria 6 strike (3,625-3,630)
Confirmed actions: US, UK
2 civilians, including 1 child, alleged killed at Raqqa, Raqqa governorate, Iraq

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 12, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hasakah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Ar Raqqah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Manbij, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL anti-air artillery piece, three ISIL vehicles, an ISIL mortar position, and an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL rocket position.
*       Near Al Qaim, one strike struck an ISIL financial storage center.
*       Near Bayji, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units.
*       Near Hit, two strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), three ISIL fighting positions, and denied ISIL access to terrain.
*       Near Kisik, one strike destroyed an ISIL supply cache.
*       Near Mosul, one strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Qayyarah, one strike struck an ISIL used bridge.
*       Near Sinjar, three strikes struck [2 British] two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL assembly area, and an ISIL rocket position.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtYhuBO5lpM

Update from UK MoD for Saturday 12 March:
‘Saturday 12 March – a Reaper engaged a terrorist rocket team, then assisted a coalition attack on a group of rocket-launchers west of Sinjar…The following day [12 March] another Reaper was active in the same area and conducted an attack on terrorists who were launching rockets. The terrorists immediately left the area in a truck which the Reaper’s crew tracked and successfully attacked with a Hellfire. The Reaper then directed coalition aircraft in an attack on an array of rocket launchers nearby.

 

March 13th-March 14th 2016
Iraq 11 strikes (7,306-7,316)
Syria 4 strikes (3,631-3,634)
Confirmed actions: US, UK
2 civilians alleged killed at Abu Kalkal, SE of Manbij, Aleppo governorate, Syria
2 friendly forces alleged killed at Jakka, northern Aleppo governorate, Syria

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 13, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted four strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Manbij, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Mar’a, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and two ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

*       Near Fallujah, one strike destroyed an ISIL bunker.
*       Near Hit, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL tunnel entrance and denied ISIL access to terrain.
*       Near Kirkuk, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL bulldozer.
*       Near Kisik, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Sinjar, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed five ISIL rocket rails.
*       Near Tal Afar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ytp9l3sUmU

Update from UK MoD for Sunday 13 March:
‘Sunday 13 March – Typhoons destroyed the entrance to a tunnel system west of Ramadi…On Sunday 13 March, Typhoon FGR4s, based at RAF Akrotiri and supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, provided support to Iraqi troops operating to the west of Ramadi. The Typhoons used a pair of Paveway IV guided bombs to demolish the entrance to a tunnel system which was reported to be surrounded by IEDs.’

Update from Dutch MoD for week ending 14 March 2016:
[Reports about 10 missions over Iraq and eastern Syria]

‘In het Midden-Oosten voerden Nederlandse F-16’s boven Irak en Oost-Syrië ongeveer 10 missies uit. Allen betroffen Close Air Support-missies. Door actieve Irakese grondtroepen was er meer zichtbare ISIS-beweging, waardoor de Nederlandse F-16’s de militaire middelen van terreurorganisatie ISIS effectief kon bestrijden met precisiewapens.’

 

March 14th-March 15th 2016
Iraq 14 strikes (7,317-7,330)
Syria 3 strikes (3,635-3,637)
Confirmed actions: US, UK, France

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 14, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes using fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near AL Hawl, three strikes destroyed seven ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

*       Near AL Huwayjah, one strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Hit, four strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL improvised weapons factory and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL rocket position.
*       Near Kirkuk, two strikes destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL fighting position and suppressed an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Mosul, four strikes [1 French] struck an ISIL training camp and two ISIL improvised explosive device factories and destroyed four ISIL assembly areas.
*       Near Qayyarah, one strike [1 British] destroyed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two large ISIL tactical units.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NXSj4bf1hU

Update from UK MoD for Monday 14 March:
‘Monday 14 March – Tornados and Typhoons supported Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, attacking mortars and terrorist fighting positions…Typhoons and Tornado GR4s also provided support to ground forces in northern Iraq on Monday 14 March. Near Qayyarah, Typhoons used Paveways against two Daesh mortars and a group of terrorists engaged in a firefight with the security forces, whilst near Kisik, Tornados destroyed two Daesh positions, again with Paveway IVs.’

Update from French MoD for 14 March:
[Reports 1 strike in the Mosul area, Iraq]

‘Le 14 mars, une patrouille de 2 Mirage 2000D a réalisé une frappe dans la région de Mossoul. Cette mission a permis de détruire un important camp d’entrainement de Daech.’

Video showing a French strike with the Coaltion on Mosul, 14 March

 

March 15th-March 16th 2016
Iraq 9 strikes (7,331-7,339)
Syria 2 strikes (3,638-3,639)
Confirmed actions: US, UK
4-18 civilians alleged killed, including 3 children and 5 women, at Mosul, Nineveh province, Iraq

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 15, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes using attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted nine strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets.The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hawl, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed nine ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

*       Near Al Huwayjah, one strike destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun.
*       Near Hit, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL assembly area, six ISIL rocket rails, two ISIL weapons caches, an ISIL anti-air artillery piece and an ISIL mortar position and denied ISIL access to terrain.
*       Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed four ISIL assembly areas and suppressed an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Sinjar, three strikes [1 British] destroyed three ISIL heavy machine guns and four ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aApCFfBIR5Y

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update from UK MoD for Tuesday 15 March:
‘Tuesday 15 March – Typhoons destroyed a Daesh heavy machine-gun position in northern Iraq…On Tuesday 15 March, Typhoon FGR4s provided close air support to Kurdish peshmerga pushing south from Sinjar and eliminated a heavy machine-gun position firing on Kurdish troops, scoring a direct hit on the terrorists with a Paveway IV precision guided bomb.’

March 16th-March 17th 2016
Iraq 20 strikes (7,340-7,359)
Syria 2 strikes (3,640-3,641)
Confirmed actions: US, UK

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 16, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes using attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 20 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hawl, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed 10 ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL weapons cache.
*       Near Ar Rutbah, one strike [1 British] struck a large ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Bayji, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Fallujah, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL staging area and an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Hit, four strikes struck two ISIL improvised weapons factories and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL improvised explosive device (IED), and an ISIL supply cache.
*       Near Kirkuk, one strike [1 British] destroyed an ISIL machine gun position.
*       Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed three ISIL bed down locations and four ISIL assembly areas.
*       Near Mosul, nine strikes struck seven ISIL propaganda sites and two ISIL manufacturing factories.’

Update from UK MoD for Wednesday 16 March:
‘Wednesday 16 March – Tornados destroyed another heavy machine-gun team in northern Iraq, whilst a Reaper successfully attacked a terrorist check-point in western Iraq…The Kurdish forces received further air support from the RAF the following day [16 March], when Tornado GR4s, destroyed another heavy machine-gun which had opened fire on the peshmerga some miles to the west of Kirkuk. Further south, in Anbar province, a Reaper remotely piloted aircraft patrolled over Anbar province and identified and attacked a terrorist check-point near Ar Rutbah being used to intimidate and control the local population using a Hellfire missile.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLKZooGOrb8

March 17th-March 18th 2016
Iraq 11 strikes (7,360-7,370)
Syria 9 strikes – 2 * (3,642-3,648)
Confirmed actions: US, UK, France

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 17, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted nine strikes using ground-attack, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hawl, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, damaged an ISIL fighting position and suppressed a second fighting position.
*       Near Ayn Isa, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
*       Near Mar’a, five strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed eight ISIL fighting positions and damaged an ISIL fighting position.

*also see 18-19th March report for amended number of Syria strikes

Iraq

*       Near Albu Hayat, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Habbaniyah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Hit, two strikes [1 French] struck an ISIL headquarters and a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL tunnel and an ISIL rocket position.
*       Near Kisik, three strikes [1 British] destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL supply cache, and an ISIL command and control node.
*       Near Qayyarah, two strikes [2 British] destroyed an ISIL rocket rail, an ISIL used bridge section, and three ISIL vehicles.
*       Sultan Abdallah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL heavy machine gun positions.
*       Near Fallujah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.’

Update from UK MoD for Thursday 17 March:
‘Thursday 17 March – Tornados and Typhoons conducted multiple attacks on Daesh positions in northern and western Iraq, including attempts by the terrorists to repair a key bridge on a supply route…Thursday 17 March saw Tornados and Typhoons operating over both northern and western Iraq. Typhoons used a Paveway bomb to demolish a building from which a terrorist sniper had opened fire on Iraqi forces near Tall Afar, while a Tornado mission over Anbar worked in cooperation with a coalition remotely piloted aircraft to assist Iraqi troops engaged in combat with Daesh extremists to the north-west of Ramadi. Despite heavy cloud obscuring the target, the RAF and coalition aircraft used their highly sophisticated surveillance and targeting equipment to allow the Tornados to deliver two precision attacks with Brimstone missiles on the terrorists, then, once they attempted to retreat, to strike the remainder of the Daesh group with a Paveway.
Meanwhile, another Tornado flight Near Kisik used a Paveway to destroy a Daesh command and control position, where a number of terrorists had gathered. The Tornados then interrupted Daesh’s efforts to reopen supply routes near Qayyarah, destroying targets with two direct hits from Paveways and then another Paveway and Brimstone missiles were used to destroy three engineering vehicles.’

Update from French MoD for week ending 17 March 2016:
[Reports 7 strikes in Iraq and 1 strike in Syria since 9 March: ]

Les armées françaises assurent simultanément la défense du territoire national et la défense de l’avant, à l’extérieur de nos frontières. Ce dispositif mobilise près 13 000 militaires sur le territoire national et environ 7 500 en opérations extérieures (principalement dans la lutte contre le terrorisme au Sahel et au Levant), ainsi que 11 000 au sein des forces prépositionnées.

Proche et Moyen-Orient : Chammal

Au Levant, la situation est marquée par un recul de Daech – en Irak comme en Syrie. Les offensives tentées depuis plusieurs semaines par l’organisation terroriste se sont soldées par des échecs. Daech est contraint d’adopter une posture défensive et tente d’ouvrir de nouveaux fronts par des actions de harcèlement contre les forces locales et des attaques terroristes à fort retentissement médiatique contre les civils.

Situation de Daech en Irak

Dans le Nord, Daech concentre ses efforts autour de Mossoul avec une bascule vraisemblable des forces dans ce secteur. Daech porte ses efforts sur la région de Tal Afar pour tenter de conserver un lien avec la Syrie – notamment depuis la perte de la route transfrontalière entre Ash Shadadi et Sinjar. Cet axe sous le contrôle des forces locales lui était essentiel pour conserver une liberté d’action entre ses deux fiefs de Mossoul et Raqqah.

Les terroristes contrôlent toujours la zone Mossoul / Qayyarah / Hawija.

Au centre, l’axe Baiji / Tikrit / Samarra reste sous le contrôle des forces irakiennes malgré le harcèlement pratiqué par Daech. La suprématie de Daech sur l’axe Baiji / Haditha est aujourd’hui contestée

Dans la vallée de l’Euphrate, depuis la prise de Ramadi par les forces irakiennes, Daech est contenu sur les rives nord du fleuve. Les troupes irakiennes progressent désormais vers Falloujah. Daech est donc sur une position défensive avec un effort pour conserver un axe logistique entre Hit et Falloujah.

Situation de Daech en Syrie

Le constat est quasiment identique, avec un net mouvement de recul de Daech.

Au Nord Est, les forces locales progressent rapidement vers le Sud. Elles se sont emparées d’Ash Shadadi et l’axe Sinjar est quasiment fermé pour Daech.

Actions de la coalition: 700 frappes en appui des forces irakiennes lors des opérations de reprise de Ramadi

En Irak, l’effort de la coalition est porté sur la vallée de l’Euphrate et dans le secteur de Mossoul – principales zones des frappes en appui des troupes locales combattant au sol. Les bombardements planifiés visent à affaiblir Daech en ciblant les centres de commandement et les capacités logistiques. En six mois, la coalition a réalisé près de 700 frappes en appui des forces irakiennes lors des opérations de reprise de Ramadi.

Actions de l’opération Chammal

Actuellement, l’opération compte 1 000 militaires déployés sur les bases aériennes en Jordanie, dans le Golfe arabo-persique (GAP), mais aussi à Bagdad, en Méditerranée Orientale (MEDOR) et dans les états-majors de la coalition.

Actions de formation et de conseil

Déployée à Bagdad, la composante formation et conseil (près de 100 instructeurs français) a achevé ses opérations de relève au début du mois de mars 2016. Les missions de la 3ebrigade légère blindée et de la 13edemi-brigade de Légion étrangère ont été reprises par la 11ebrigade parachutiste. Depuis le mois de mars 2015, les forces françaises ont formé 3 700 des 18 600 militaires irakiens formés par la coalition.

Actuellement, elles conduisent 5 actions de formation au sein de l’Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (ICTS). Au programme pour les 500 stagiaires irakiens : sauvetage au combat, lutte contre les engins explosifs, combat en zone urbaine et ouverte, instruction au tir de combat, formation des futurs instructeurs. Ces compétences sont indispensables aux forces irakiennes pour poursuivre le combat.

Opérations aériennes : 78 objectifs terroristes frappés en 1 mois

Depuis le 9 mars 2016, les équipages ont réalisé 46 sorties et conduit 8 frappes ayant entrainé la destruction de 13 objectifs terroristes.

Sur ces 46 sorties, 6 ont été dédiées aux vols de renseignement et 40 aux bombardements.

Concernant ces dernières, 2 ont fait l’objet d’attaques planifiées, l’une en Irak et l’autre en Syrie :

• Le 11 mars, une patrouille de 2 Mirage a réalisé une frappe dans la région de Der Eiz Zor où une installation pétrolière utilisée par Daech a été détruite.
• Le 14 mars, une patrouille de 2 Mirage a réalisé une frappe dans la région de Mossoul détruisant un camp d’entrainement de combattants terroristes.

Au bilan depuis  le 17 février et jusqu’au 15 mars 2016, la force Chammal a réalisé 36 frappes et détruit 78 objectifs terroristes, notamment dans les régions de Mossoul et de Ramadi.

GAN : fin du déploiement opérationnel

Du 18 novembre 2015 au 16 mars 2016, le GAN a opéré à la fois depuis la Méditerranée orientale (MEDOR) et le Golfe arabo-persique (GAP) avec une activité opérationnelle marquée par sa participation aux campagnes aériennes contre Daech et la prise de commandement par le contre-amiral Crignola de la « composante porte-avions » de la coalition.

100 frappes contre Daech 

Les équipages ont effectué près de 530 sorties aériennes – parfois jusqu’à 18 par jour lors des phases d’intensification de la coalition.

Ils ont en particulièrement été engagé dans les raids frappant les terroristes à Ramadi et Mossoul. Avec près de 100 frappes réalisées au cours de sa mission, le GAN a ainsi contribué, aux côtés des chasseurs de l’armée de l’air, à toucher Daech dans la profondeur de son dispositif, endommageant sa logistique et donc sa capacité à soutenir un combat de haute intensité. Plus d’une trentaine de missions ISR ont par ailleurs été réalisées, dont les dossiers de renseignement sont actuellement exploités par la coalition.

Derniers catapultages des SEM en opération

Le mercredi 16 mars 2016, les Super Etendard Modernisés (SEM) ont été catapultés une dernière fois depuis le porte-avions en Méditerranée — marquant ainsi la fin d’un engagement opérationnel de plus de 40 ans. Dans le cadre de l’opération Chammal, les équipages auront effectué 800 heures de vol  et frappé 32 objectifs terroristes en Irak et en Syrie.

Update from French MoD for 22 March:
[From 16-22 March reports 15 strikes: 13 ground support strikes, including 5 in the Hit area for 21 March and two planned strikes: March 17, a patrol of 5 Mirage 2000D and 2 Rafale achieved a hit in the Hit area to destroy a command centre; On March 22, a patrol of two Mirage 2000D conducted a strike in the Mosul area. This mission allowed to destroy a command centre.]

‘Chammal – 15 frappes contre Daech en Irak cette semaine, 19 objectifs détruits

État-major des armées | 22 mars 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 18th-March 19th 2016
Iraq 25 strikes (7,371-7,395)
Syria 1 strike (3,649)
Confirmed actions: US, UK
41 civilians alleged killed at Hawijah, Kirkuk province, Iraq

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 18, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted one strike using fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 25 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and ground-attack, bomber, and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Ayn Isa, one strike destroyed an ISIL rocket position and an ISIL mortar position.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, four strikes struck two ISIL bed down locations and two ISIL staging areas.
*       Near Al Huwayja, one strike destroyed an ISIL anti-air artillery piece.
*       Near Fallujah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units.
*       Near Hit, seven strikes struck an ISIL training camp, two ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) factories, an ISIL improvised explosive device (IED) factory and two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL tunnel, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL supply cache, and an ISIL VBIED.
*       Near Kisik, two strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL bunker and two ISIL assembly areas.
*       Near Mosul, six strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL assembly area, an ISIL supply cache, and three ISIL vehicles and damaged an ISIL-used bridge section and suppressed an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position and an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Sinjar, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and suppressed an ISIL fighting position.

Additionally, on the March 18 release, two strikes were duplicated in AL Hawl and Mar’a, Syria due to administrative error. The following is a summary of the correct strikes in both Al Hawl and Mar’a from the March 18 release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hawl, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, and damaged an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Mar’a, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed eight ISIL fighting positions, and damaged an ISIL fighting position.’

Update from UK MoD for Friday 18 March:
‘Friday 18 March – Tornados and Typhoons struck three groups of terrorists as they gathered for possible attacks in northern Iraq…On Friday 18 March, Paveway-armed Typhoons struck a group of extremists mustering east of Mosul, while Tornados similarly hit two Daesh groups gathered for possible attacks near Kisik.’

 

March 19th-March 20th 2016
Iraq 16 strikes (7,396-7,411)
Syria 0 strikes (3,649)
Confirmed actions: US
25-115 civilians alleged killed and 30-40 Daesh fighters at Mosul, Nineveh province, Iraq
25-115 civilians, and 30-40 Daesh fighters alleged killed at Mosul, Nineveh province, Iraq

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 19, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 16 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle and suppressed two ISIL tactical units.
*       Near Habbaniyah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL bunker.
*       Near Hit, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL tactical vehicles, an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), two ISIL rocket rails, and an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Kisik, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL supply cache, and three ISIL rocket rails and suppressed an ISIL sniper position.
*       Near Mosul, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL headquarters and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed two ISIL supply caches and an ISIL headquarters.
*       Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed an ISIL supply cache and suppressed an ISIL rocket position.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MtYKsoBOlQ

 

March 20th-March 21st 2016
Iraq 7 strikes (7,412-7,418)
Syria 4 strikes (3,650-3,653)
Confirmed actions: US, UK

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 20, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted four strikes using attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Ayn Isa, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Kobani, one strike destroyed an ISIL excavator.
*       Near Manbij, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position and an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Mar’a, one strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
Iraq

*       Near Hit, one strike produced inconclusive results.
*       Near Kisik, one strike suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Mosul, three strikes struck an ISIL headquarters and destroyed an ISIL mortar position and two ISIL fighting postions.
*       Near Ramadi, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Sinjar, one strike [1 British] destroyed three ISIL supply caches.’

Update from UK MoD for Sunday 20 March:
‘Sunday 20 March – Tornados destroyed three weapons caches in north-western Iraq…Tornado GR4s were in action again over northern Iraq on Sunday 20 March, when they used Paveways to destroy three weapons caches and supply points several miles south-west of Sinjar.’

 

March 21st-March 22nd 2016
Iraq 13 strikes (7,419-7,431)
Syria 2 strikes (3,654-3,655)
Confirmed actions: US, UK

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 21, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 13 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Ar Raqqah, one strike [1 British] struck an ISIL weapons storage facility.
*       Near Mar’a, one strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, two strikes struck two ISIL staging facilities.
*       Near Habbaniyah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Hit, two strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
*       Near Kisik, three strikes [2 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Mosul, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL tunnel and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed ISIL engineering equipment and damaged an ISIL used bridge section.
*       Near Sinjar, one strike suppressed an ISIL rocket position.’

Update from UK MoD for Sunday 21 March:
‘Monday 21 March – Typhoons attacked four groups of terrorists in northern Iraq, including three teams planting IEDs, whilst Tornados conducted a large attack on a major weapons storage facility in Syria…Two flights of Typhoons provided close air support to the Kurdish forces on Monday 21 March; one flight destroyed a Daesh group that was firing rockets at the Kurds, whilst the other flight successfully attacked three terrorist teams which were planting improvised explosive devices in the Kisik area. Across the border in Syria, careful reconnaissance work had identified a major Daesh weapons storage facility at a site near Ukayrishah, south-east of Raqqa. This intelligence success allowed Tornado GR4s to conduct a very successful strike on Monday night, delivering eight Paveway IVs which destroyed the main warehouse and three support buildings.’

Update from French MoD for 22 March:
[From 16-22 March reports 15 strikes: 13 ground support strikes, including 5 in the Hit area for 21 March and two planned strikes: March 17, a patrol of 5 Mirage 2000D and 2 Rafale achieved a hit in the Hit area to destroy a command centre; On March 22, a patrol of two Mirage 2000D conducted a strike in the Mosul area. This mission allowed to destroy a command centre.]

‘Chammal – 15 frappes contre Daech en Irak cette semaine, 19 objectifs détruits

État-major des armées | 22 mars 2016

‘Army Col. Steve Warren, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman, updates reporters at the Pentagon via teleconference from Baghdad on operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, March 21, 2016.’

Update from Dutch MoD for week ending 21 March:
[Reports flying about 10 missions over Iraq and eastern Syria, targeting Daesh firing positions, arms depots and other targets. During two attack missions Dutch pilots led a large international group of Coalition aircraft]

‘Nederlandse F-16’s vlogen ongeveer 10 missies boven Irak en Oost-Syrië. Tijdens 2 aanvalsmissies leidden Nederlandse vliegers een grote internationale groep van coalitievliegtuigen. Nederlandse F-16’s zetten wapens in tegen vuurposities, wapenopslagplaatsen en andere doelen van terreurorganisatie ISIS.’

 

March 22nd-March 23rd 2016
Iraq 17 strikes (7,432-7,448)
Syria 8 strikes (3,656-3,663)
Confirmed actions: US, UK, France
9 civilians including 4-6 women and 2-4 children, and 12-15 Daesh fighters alleged killed at  Mosul, Nineveh province, Iraq

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 22, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes using ground-attack, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 17 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Manbij, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Mar’a, six strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL improvised explosive device (IED) cache, an ISIL tunnel, and four ISIL vehicles.
*       Near Ar Raqqah, one strike [1 British] struck an ISIL weapons storage facility.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL front end loader, an ISIL machine gun position, and an ISIL bed down location.
*       Near Haditha, one strike [1 British] struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL staging areas.
*       Near Kirkuk, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL supply cache.
*       Near Kisik, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar position and three ISIL assembly areas.
*       Near Mosul, three strikes [1 French] struck an ISIL headquarters, an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area and an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Qayyarah, two strikes [1 British] destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL used bridge section.
*       Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle and an ISIL front end loader.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Tal Afar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position and an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Hit, two strikes destroyed an ISIL staging area and an ISIL supply cache.’

Update from UK MoD for Tuesday 22 March:

‘Tuesday 22 March – Tornados struck a terrorist staging area in western Iraq, and frustrated continued attempts by Daesh to repair a vital bridge over the Tigris in the north, while in Syria a Reaper destroyed a terrorist-held building…Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s conducted strike operations over both western and northern Iraq on Tuesday 22 March. In Anbar province, a Tornado flight was able to destroy with Paveway IV guided bombs a staging post used by Daesh extremists. Further north, near Qayyarah, coalition surveillance aircraft identified renewed attempts by Daesh to build an improvised ramp up to a damaged bridge at a key crossing over the Tigris, just south of Qayyarah; RAF aircraft had destroyed the heavy engineering vehicles and a previous attempt at a ramp on 17 March. Two Tornados therefore returned to the bridge and again destroyed the ramp with Paveways, preventing the terrorists from reopening their supply route across the river. In eastern Syria, a Reaper used a Hellfire missile to demolish a Daesh storage building near Ukayrishah; the attack was very carefully planned in both timing and weapon choice to avoid causing any damage to a nearby school.’

Update from French MoD for 22 March:
[From 16-22 March reports 15 strikes: 13 ground support strikes, including 5 in the Hit area for 21 March and two planned strikes: March 17, a patrol of 5 Mirage 2000D and 2 Rafale achieved a hit in the Hit area to destroy a command centre; On March 22, a patrol of two Mirage 2000D conducted a strike in the Mosul area. This mission allowed to destroy a command centre.]

‘Chammal – 15 frappes contre Daech en Irak cette semaine, 19 objectifs détruits

État-major des armées | 22 mars 2016

 

March 23rd-March 24th 2016
Iraq 26 strikes (7,449-7,474)
Syria 8 strikes (3,664-3,671)
Confirmed actions: US, UK

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 23, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes using ground-attack, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 26 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hawl, two strikes destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Manbij, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Mar’a, one strike destroyed three ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Palmyra, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

*       Near Hit, three strikes struck an ISIL weapons storage facility and an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL rocket rail and five ISIL bunkers.
*       Near Kirkuk, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL command and control node, and an ISIL weapons cache.
*       Near Kisik, one strike [1 British] destroyed an ISIL tunnel.
*       Near Mosul, eight strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), and six ISIL assembly areas and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Qayyarah, three strikes struck an ISIL communication facility and destroyed an ISIL used bridge section and denied ISIL access to terrain.
*       Near Ramadi, one strike denied ISIL access to terrain.
*       Near Sinjar, five strikes [1 British] struck five ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and four ISIL assembly areas.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar position and denied ISIL access to terrain.
*       Near Tal Afar, two strikes destroyed an ISIL assembly area and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkgRft0xAQ4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUlsgRqSEHk

Update from UK MoD for Wednesday 23 March:

‘Wednesday 23 March – Typhoons attacked Daesh positions in northern Iraq, including a tunnel and a mortar team…On Wednesday 23 March, Typhoon FGR4s patrolled over northern Iraq. They used Paveways to destroy a Daesh position south of Sinjar, and a tunnel entrance, two terrorist-held buildings and a mortar team all located near Kisik.’

 

March 24th-March 25th 2016
Iraq 11 strikes (7,475-7,485)
Syria 2 strikes (3,672-3,673)
Confirmed actions: US, UK
1 civilian alleged killed at Raqqa, Raqqa governorate, Syria

From CJTF-OIR:
On March 24, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes using attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Al Hawl, one strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Mar’a, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

*       Near Habbaniyah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL tunnel entrances.
*       Near Haditha, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL staging areas.
*       Near Hit, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL rocket rail.
*       Near Mosul, one strike destroyed two ISIL assembly areas.
*       Near Qayyarah, two strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL mortar positions, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL fighting position, and denied ISIL access to terrain.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar position and two ISIL assembly areas and denied ISIL access to terrain.
*       Near Tal Afar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Waleed, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuYx9BeGIEs

Update from UK MoD for Thursday 24 March:

‘Thursday 24 March – Tornados destroyed a mortar team that was firing on Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, while a Reaper destroyed a vehicle in eastern Syria…The following day [Thursday 24 March], Tornados were again active over Qayyarah; working in close cooperation with a coalition surveillance aircraft, they were able to successfully engage with a Paveway a Daesh mortar team that had opened fire on Kurdish forces. Across the border in eastern Syria, a Reaper used a Hellfire missile in a successful attack on a Daesh vehicle.’

Update from French MoD to 24 March 2016:
[Since 16 March reports 15 strikes in Iraq, including 13 ground support strikes – with 5 in the Hit area on 21 March – and 2 planned strikes in the Hit and Mosul areas]

‘LEVANT : CHAMMAL

Au Levant, les opérations coordonnées des forces locales et de la coalition ont entrainé un recul de Daech sur tous les fronts—à la fois en Irak et en Syrie. Daech est sous la pression des forces irakiennes qu’il cherche à ralentir par des actions de harcèlement.

En Irak : confrontée aux actions de la coalition, l’organisation terroriste adopte une posture défensive, en particulier dans la région de Mossoul.

Plus au Sud, elle tente des attaques contre des sites pétroliers dans la région de Baiji, attaques repoussées par les forces irakiennes.

Dans la vallée de l’Euphrate, Daech recule devant la progression des forces irakiennes entre Hit et Falloujah.

En Syrie : depuis plusieurs semaines, les terroristes perdent du terrain sur les différents fronts. La coalition OIR rapporte ainsi que les forces locales ont libéré Tishreen, Kobane et Tal Abyad. Dans le Nord Est du pays, elles continuent de progresser dans la province d’Hasakah où elles ont repris la ville de Shaddadi et avancent vers la ville de Raqqah.

Efforts de la coalition en Irak

Dans l’Anbar, entre Hit et Haditah, la coalition appuie la progression des forces irakiennes en réduisant les capacités des combattants terroristes. Son action vise également à appuyer les forces au sol pour conserver les territoires libérés et les villes reconquises (comme Ramadi).

Sur le front Nord, la coalition tient Daech sous pression avec un double objectif : affaiblir le système défensif autour de Mossoul et couper les lignes de ravitaillement des terroristes.

Certains chiffres (sources OIR) permettent d’illustrer les effets produits sur le terrain par les opérations de la coalition : près de 7 000 positions de tir, 6 000 bâtiments, 500 véhicules et 1 300 sites de production de pétrole ont été détruits en Irak et en Syrie depuis 2014. Au total, 22 779 objectifs de Daech détruits.

Chammal : destruction de deux centres de commandement terroristes en Irak 

L’action de la France s’inscrit dans l’effort de la coalition à travers l’engagement des chasseurs de l’armée de l’air dans les missions de bombardement et de recueil de renseignements, mais aussi à travers la poursuite du programme de formation des forces irakiennes.

Depuis le 16 mars 2016, la force Chammal a réalisé 73 sorties aériennes au-dessus de l’Irak et de la Syrie, dont 65 de bombardement et 8 de recueil de renseignements. Au total, 15 frappes ont permis de détruire 19 objectifs de Daech. La semaine a été marquée par 2 opérations planifiées de bombardement conduites en coalition. Elles ont abouti à la destruction de 2 centres de commandement en Irak, à Hit et Mossoul. Ces frappes affaiblissent les capacités militaires des terroristes. En parallèle les chasseurs français poursuivent leur mission d’appui des forces irakiennes. Ils ont été particulièrement engagés le 21 mars, dans la région de Hit, en menant en quelques heures 5 frappes en appui des troupes engagées au sol.’

France reports 813 flights in Iraq/Syria, 179 strikes against Daesh and 296 targets destroyed since 1 January 2016

 

March 25th-March 26th 2016
Iraq 22 strikes (7,486-7,507)
Syria 4 strikes (3,674-3,677)
Confirmed actions: US, UK

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 25, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted four strikes using attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 22 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and ground-attack, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Ayn Isa, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Mar’a, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL artillery piece and three ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

*       Near Fallujah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units.
*       Near Hit, five strikes struck an ISIL improvised weapons factory, an ISIL communications facility, an ISIL weapons storage facility and two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL fighting position.
*       Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed an ISIL artillery piece and suppressed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Mosul, four strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL supply caches and three ISIL assembly areas and suppressed two ISIL mortar positions.
*       Near Qayyarah, six strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL mortar positions, an ISIL artillery piece, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL vehicle, and five ISIL assembly areas and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Sinjar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position and an ISIL assembly area.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and denied ISIL access to terrain.’

Update from UK MoD for Friday 25 March:

‘Friday 25 March – Typhoons attacked five terrorist positions near Mosul…Typhoons caught extremists mustering near Mosul on Friday 25 March, and struck five positions with Paveway IVs.’

 

March 26th-March 27th 2016
Iraq 19 strikes (7,508-7,526)
Syria 2 strikes (3,678-3,679)
Confirmed actions: US
31 Iraq Army soldiers alleged killed at Kharbardan village SE of Mosul, Nineveh province, Iraq
8 friendly forces, including 2 women and 2 children alleged killed at Mosul, Nineveh province, Iraq

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 26, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes using attack and ground-attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 19 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Manbij, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Mar’a, one strike destroyed six ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, three strikes struck an ISIL staging facility.
*       Near Hit, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Kisik, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Mosul, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position, an ISIL anti-air artillery piece and two ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL mortar position and two ISIL tactical units.
*       Near Qayyarah, three strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL security headquarters and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Sinjar, two strikes suppressed an ISIL rocket firing position and an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL assembly areas and suppressed two ISIL mortar positions, an ISIL surface to air firing position, and an ISIL tactical unit.’

 

March 27th-March 28th 2016
Iraq 10 strikes (7,527-7,536)
Syria 4 strikes (3,680-3,683)
Confirmed actions: US, UK
4 children alleged killed at Wadi Hajar, south of Mosul, Nineveh province, Iraq

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 27, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted four strikes using attack and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Mar’a, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions.
*       Near Manbij, one strike destroyed two ISIL bed down locations and two ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

*       Near Mosul, four strikes struck an ISIL security headquarters and an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area and suppressed an ISIL mortar position and an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Qayyarah, three strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL mortar positions, an ISIL machine gun, and an ISIL supply cache and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
*       Near Sinjar, one strike [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL assembly area.’

Update from UK MoD for Sunday 27 March:

‘Sunday 27 March – Typhoons provided close air support to Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, eliminating sniper and heavy machine-gun teams…RAF aircraft continued to provide close air support to the Kurdish forces on Sunday 27 March. Paveways from a Typhoon flight silenced both a sniper and a heavy machine-gun team who were engaged in combat with Kurdish troops near Qayyarah, and a further Paveway accounted for a second heavy machine-gun team that opened fire on the peshmerga south of Sinjar.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 28th-March 29th 2016
Iraq 4 strikes (7,537-7,540)
Syria 0 strikes (3,683)
Confirmed actions: US, UK

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 28, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted four strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Iraq

*       Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL bed down location and an ISIL safe house.
*       Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed two ISIL assembly areas and suppressed an ISIL machine gun position.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed three ISIL assembly areas.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtPuV-C3plg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX0-g8IfoaM

Update from UK MoD for Monday 28 March:

‘Monday 28 March – Typhoons struck three terrorist-held buildings in northern Iraq…The Typhoons were again in action south of Sinjar on Monday 28 March, when they bombed two terrorist-held buildings, before flying to the area around Tall Afar where they struck a third Daesh position.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update from Dutch MoD for 22-28 March:
[Reports daily missions over Iraq and Syria: ‘Close Air Support’ missions, targeting Daesh mortar, artillery and fighters and some ‘Air Interdiction’ missions with other Coalition partners, targeting Daesh headquarters, ammunition storage sites and assembly sites]

‘Het F-16-detachement vloog afgelopen week dagelijks missies boven Irak en Oost-Syrië ter ondersteuning van Operation Inherent Resolve. Een overzicht van Defensieoperaties in de week van 22 tot 28 maart 2016.

Midden-Oosten

Tijdens de Close Air Support-missies ondersteunden de F-16’s Iraakse en Peshmerga-grondtroepen. De Nederlandse F-16’s schakelden daarbij onder meer mortier- en artillerieopstellingen, gevechtslocaties en ISIS-strijders uit. Daardoor konden de grondtroepen verder met hun opmars tegen de terreurorganisatie. Tijdens enkele Air Interdiction-missies zetten de F-16’s met andere coalitiepartners hun precisiewapens in tegen onder meer hoofdkwartieren, munitieopslaglocaties en verzamelplaatsen van ISIS. Gevolg was dat de slagkracht van de vijand afnam. Tijdens het Paasweekeinde gingen de operaties zowel overdag als ’s nachts onverminderd door.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 29th-March 30th 2016
Iraq 20 strikes (7,541-7,560)
Syria 4 strikes (3,684-3,687)
Confirmed actions: US, UK

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 29, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted four strikes using ground-attack, attack, and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 20 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Mar’a, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed seven ISIL bunkers.
*       Near Manbij, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.

Iraq

*       Near Al Baghdadi, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL boat.
*       Near Habbaniyah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Hit, three strikes [1 British] struck a large ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL safe house and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
*       Near Mosul, five strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed six ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL weapons cache, and an ISIL vehicle.
*       Near Qayyarah, two strikes [2 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL tunnels and an ISIL assembly area.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL fighting position and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Kirkuk, one strike destroyed two ISIL assembly areas.
*       Near Kisik, one strike destroyed an ISIL assembly area.
*       Near Makhmur, one strike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle.
*       Near Sinjar, two strikes destroyed an ISIL assembly area and an ISIL fighting position.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zuvLKDpR1k

From UK MoD for Tuesday 29 March:

‘Tuesday 29 March – Tornados and Typhoons hit multiple targets in western and northern Iraq, including five truck-bomb facilities and a tunnel complex…Operations over both northern and western Iraq continued on Tuesday 29 March. One Typhoon flight struck a reported Daesh storage building north-east of Mosul, while a second flight assisted Kurdish forces by bombing a mortar position near Quyyarah, then conducted attacks on terrorist installations nearby; one Typhoon was able to strike simultaneously four tunnel entrances, each with a Paveway, the second aircraft striking three truck-bomb facilities, again each with a Paveway. In Anbar province, two further truck-bomb workshops near Hit were successfully attacked by Tornados the same day.’

French MoD reports 11 strikes against Daesh in Iraq, with 12 targets destroyed from 23-29 March.

Update from French MoD for 23-29 March:
[From 23-29 March, reports 11 strikes in Iraq, destroying 12 Daesh targets. Notes that this week they have focused their efforts in support missions for Iraqi forces engaged on the ground, especially in the north, concentrating on ground support missions around Mosul and along the Euphrates to support the progress of internal security forces.]

‘Chammal – 11 frappes contre Daech en Irak cette semaine, 12 objectifs détruits

Du 23 au 29 mars 2016, la force Chammal a poursuivi ses opérations aériennes contre Daech en réalisant 36 sorties au-dessus de l’Irak et de la Syrie, dont 32 de bombardement et 4 de recueil de renseignement. Au total 11 frappes ont détruit 12 objectifs de Daech, la force Chammal ayant cette semaine concentré son effort dans des missions d’appui au profit des forces irakiennes engagées au sol, en particulier dans le Nord du pays.

11 frappes d’appui au sol ont été réalisées en Irak au cours de la semaine

La force Chammal a réalisé des missions d’appui au sol concentrées dans les environs de Mossoul et le long de l’Euphrate en appui de la progression des forces de sécurité intérieures.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From CJTF-OIR:
‘On March 31, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted five strikes using attack and ground-attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

*       Near Ayn Isa, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
*       Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike destroyed two ISIL bulldozers.
*       Near Mar’a, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions

Iraq

*       Near Habbaniyah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
*       Near Hit, three strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL VBIED, two ISIL VBIED factories, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL anti-air artillery staging area, and nine ISIL tunnel entrances and denied ISIL access to terrain.
*       Near Kirkuk, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas.
*       Near Mosul, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas and five ISIL vehicles.
*       Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle and an ISIL mortar firing position and suppressed two separate ISIL mortar firing positions.
*       Near Ramadi, one strike destroyed two ISIL VBIEDs.
*       Near Sinjar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area.
*       Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed three ISIL tunnel systems and three ISIL assembly areas.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7KkUOizhZc

‘British army Maj. Gen. Doug Chalmers, Operation Inherent Resolve strategy and sustainment deputy commander, updated reporters on operations targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, March 31, 2016.’

Update from UK MoD for Thursday 31 March:

‘Thursday 31 March – Tornados struck a terrorist observation post in western Iraq with a Brimstone missile…On Thursday 31 March, RAF Tornado GR4s – supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker like the Typhoons – provided close air support to Iraqi security forces as they advanced near the city of Hit. A terrorist observation post was identified and the Tornado flight scored a direct hit with a Brimstone missile.’

Update from French MoD to 31 March:
[Reports 11 strikes against Daesh in Iraq since 23 March. To the west, in the region of Anbar, the Coalition supports the progress of Iraqi forces by concentrating its air strikes in areas of the city of Fallujah and Hit. On the northern front, the Coalition focuses its efforts on the Mosul area.]

‘Point de situation des opérations du 31 mars 2016

LEVANT : CHAMMAL

Cette semaine, les opérations aériennes de la force Chammal se sont concentrées sur l’appui des forces locales engagées dans des opérations de reconquête dans les vallées du Tigre et de l’Euphrate.

En Irak : sous la pression de la coalition, Daech reste dans une logique défensive.

Au Nord, les forces irakiennes poursuivent leur progression le long du Tigre, en particulier dans les régions de Kirkuk et Salah ad Din. Elles concentrent leurs efforts sur la ville de Qayyarah. Daech défend âprement cette région qui constitue pour le groupe terroriste un véritable « verrou » commandant les accès de Mossoul.

Au Sud, les forces Irakiennes poursuivent leurs opérations dans la vallée de l’Anbar en faisant effort sur la ville de Hit.

En Syrie :pour les forces de Daech, la semaine a été marquée par la perte très symbolique de la ville de Palmyre. Ce revers est d’autant plus fort qu’il a y quelques mois, la conquête de cette ville par l’organisation terroriste avait contribué à alimenter sa propagande.

Efforts de la coalition en Irak

A l’ouest, dans la région de l’Anbar, la Coalition appuie la progression des forces irakiennes en concentrant ses frappes aériennes dans les secteurs de la ville de Hit et de Falloujah.

Sur le front Nord, la coalition axe son effort sur la région de Mossoul.

Depuis le 23 mars 2016, la force Chammal a réalisé 36 sorties au-dessus de l’Irak et de la Syrie, dont  32 de bombardement et 4 de recueil de renseignement. Au total 11 frappes ont permis de détruire 12 objectifs de Daesh.’

Monthly Australian MoD summary for March 2016

ATG Operations

F/A-18 IRAQ
Month	Sorties	Hours	Munitions
F/A-18F
Sep-14	4	10	0
Oct-14	79	638	25
Nov-14	62	489	49
Dec-14	76	586	61
Jan-15	70	601	53
Feb-15	66	541	35
Mar-15	61	496	55
F/A-18F Total	418	3361	278
F/A-18A
Mar-15	22	160	8
Apr-15	72	536	43
May-15	66	484	45
Jun-15	72	513	42
Jul-15	66	486	42
Aug-15	74	544	39
Sep-15	60	454	37
Oct-15	78	570	34
Nov-15	70	540	73
Dec-15	73	539	81
Jan-16	74	561	111
Feb-16	62	474	69
Mar-16	82	624	80
Apr-16	80	624	71
F/A-18A Total	955	7140.7	780
Total	1,373	10,502	1,058

F/A-18 SYRIA
Month	Sorties	Hours	Munitions
F/A-18F
Sep-14	0	0	0
Oct-14	0	0	0
Nov-14	0	0	0
Dec-14	0	0	0
Jan-15	0	0	0
Feb-15	0	0	0
Mar-15	0	0	0
F/A-18F Total	0	0	0
F/A-18A
Mar-15	0	0	0
Apr-15	0	0	0
May-15	0	0	0
Jun-15	0	0	0
Jul-15	0	0	0
Aug-15	0	0	0
Sep-15	18	143	2
Oct-15	0	0	0
Nov-15	0	0	0
Dec-15	10	57	21
Jan-16	6	33	11
Feb-16	4	27	4
Mar-16	0	0	0
Apr-16	0	0	0
F/A-18A Total	38	260	38
Total	38	260	38

Monthly AFCENT data for March 2016