December 19th 2014 – U.S. and partner nation military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria Dec. 19 using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct four airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted eleven airstrikes in Iraq Dec. 19 using fighter, bomber, and attack aircraft [and RPAS according to the UK] against the ISIL terrorists. The following is a summary of those strikes:

Syria

* Near Kobani, three airstrikes destroyed two ISIL buildings and an ISIL staging area and struck two ISIL tactical units.

* Near Ar Raqqah, an airstrike damaged an ISIL training compound.

Iraq

* Near Al Asad, two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL building and mortar and struck an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Mosul, two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle and damaged an ISIL bridge.

* Near Fallujah, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL vehicle and struck an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Al Qaim, an airstrike destroyed two ISIL tactical vehicles.

* Near Ramadi, three airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units.

* Near Sinjar, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit [but see UK below]

* Near Tal Afar, an airstrike [Canadian] struck an ISIL tactical unit

December 19th 2014 – The peshmerga offensive has been assisted by considerable coalition air support, including from the RAF. A Reaper played its part last night by providing surveillance for an advancing Kurdish unit. The Reaper conducted three strikes this morning [December 19th] with Hellfire missiles on ISIL fighting positions.

On December 19, two CF-188 Hornets successfully struck ISIL elements including vehicles and a fortified rocket emplacement with precision guided munitions in the vicinity of Tal Afar which is located between Sinjar and Mosul. The airstrikes were part of a larger coalition mission in the Sinjar region to support Iraqi security forces’ efforts to reach internally displaced civilians stranded in the Sinjar Mountains.

December 18th 2014 – U.S. and partner nation military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria Dec. 18 using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct six airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted five airstrikes in Iraq Dec. 18 using fighter, bomber, and attack aircraft [and RPAS] against the ISIL terrorists. The following is a summary of those strikes:

Syria

* Near Kobani – six airstrikes destroyed seven ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL building and also struck an ISIL tactical unit.

Iraq

* Near Tal Afar– [French?] two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL excavator and an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Mosul- two airstrikes struck two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL Tactical unit [1 British?].

* Near Ramadi- an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

On Thursday [Dec 18th], remotely piloted Reapers flew armed reconnaissance missions over Iraq in support of both the Iraqi Army and the Kurdish peshmerga. One Reaper patrol was tasked to locate a group of ISIL terrorists who had fired on advancing Iraqi troops. The Reaper spotted the terrorists planting a number of improvised explosive devices and successfully attacked with a Hellfire missile.

Le 18 décembre, au cours d’une mission de reconnaissance armée au profit des forces de sécurité irakiennes, deux avions de chasse français sont intervenus dans la région du Mont Sinjar. Une trentaine de combattants de Daech prenait à partie des Peshmergas, combattants kurdes. « Equipés de jumelles à vision nocturne, nous avons constaté des tirs de balles traçantes ainsi qu’un groupe posant des engins explosifs improvisés, explique le pilote. En coordination avec les alliés présents dans la zone, la patrouille a neutralisé ces combattants de Daech grâce à deux frappes.

December 17th 2014 – U.S. and partner nation military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria Dec. 15-17 using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct six airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted 61 airstrikes in Iraq Dec. 15-17 using fighter, bomber, attack, and remotely-piloted aircraft against the ISIL terrorists.

In Syria, five airstrikes near Kobani destroyed an ISIL building, an ISIL staging area, an ISIL bunker, and an ISIL mortar and struck two ISIL tactical units, two additional buildings and two ISIL fighting positions.

Near Abu Kamal, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle.

In Iraq, eight airstrikes near Mosul [including by French] destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns, three ISIL buildings, one ISIL mortar position, one ISIL bulldozer and an ISIL bunker and also struck a large ISIL unit and an ISIL tactical unit.

Near Tal-Afar, two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL building and three ISIL bridges and also struck an ISIL tactical unit [British strike reported between Mosul and Tal Afar].

Near Sinjar, two airstrikes destroyed two ISIL vehicles, two ISIL guard towers, three ISIL containers and one ISIL storage container [one strike French].

Near Hit, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle and an excavator.

Near Rawa, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL building and a storage container [British].Near Irbil, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL vehicle and struck an ISIL tactical unit. Near Ramadi, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL building.

An additional 45 strikes were conducted in support of the Peshmerga (KSF) and Iraqi security forces operating in the region [France defines this as Mount Sinjar while the UK refers to an area between Mosul and Tal Afar]. Precision airstrikes from 15 coalition aircraft destroyed approximately 50 targets, to include bulldozers, vehicles, checkpoints, enemy fighting positions, enemy fighters, and equipment [operation includes France, UK, Canada].