On Aug. 5, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 11 airstrikes using fighter, fighter-attack and remotely piloted aircraft. Separately in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 16 airstrikes coordinated with the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter-attack, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.
Coalition strikes degrade command and control and resupply efforts of Daesh, while Daesh fighters attempt to control populations and lines of communications.
“The coalition and our partners on the ground are continuing to tighten the noose around Daesh in Iraq and Syria,” said Brig. Gen. Kevin Killea, CJTF-OIR chief of staff. “Every member of the coalition plays a vital role in degrading the terrorist organization, and we are all working to dismantle Daesh while limiting their ability to harm civilians.”
The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

• Near Al Hasakah, seven airstrikes struck five ISIL tactical units and destroyed 11 ISIL fighting positons, three ISIL motorcycles and two ISIL bunkers.
• Near Aleppo, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positons and an ISIL building.
• Near Ar Raqqah, one airstrike struck an ISIL large tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL buildings and an ISIL checkpoint.
• Near Kobani, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

• Near Al Huwayjah, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL checkpoint.
• Near Bayji, four airstrikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and three ISIL staging areas and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Habbaniyah, three airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL armored personnel carriers, two ISIL structures, an ISIL IED and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Hit, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL light machine gun and an ISIL fighting positon.
• Near Makhmur, three airstrikes [1 Canadian] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed 17 ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL weapons cache.
• Near Ramadi, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
• Near Sinjar, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL light machine gun.
• Near Tal Afar, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL light machine gun.

On Wednesday 5 August, two GR4s supported Iraqi units near Bayji, and successfully destroyed a vehicle and terrorist group attempting to hide under pipework at a disused industrial site with a Paveway IV.

On 5 August 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, two CF-18 Hornets successfully struck an ISIS staging area south of Kirkuk using precision guided munitions.

On 5 August 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, two CF-18 Hornets successfully struck an ISIS fighting position west of Makhmur using precision guided munitions.

On Aug. 4, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted seven airstrikes using fighter, fighter-attack, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft. Separately in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 22 airstrikes coordinated with the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter-attack, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.

Coalition’s airstrikes continue to destroy and degrade ISIL’s tactical and combat equipment within Iraq.

“Coalition forces are achieving debilitating effects against the enemy,” said Col. Wayne Marotto, CJTF-OIR chief of public affairs. “The coalition strikes, in coordination with the ISF, destroy Daesh capabilities and provide the ISF an increased operational capability and freedom of movement.”

The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

• Near Al Hasakah, five airstrikes struck five ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL bunker, seven ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Ar Raqqah, two airstrikes struck two large ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL container, three ISIL vehicles and an ISIL building.

Iraq

• Near Fallujah, one airstrike destroyed an ISIL excavator.
• Near Habbaniyah, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL structures.
• Near Hit, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL VBIED.
• Near Makhmur, three airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL bunker, 15 ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Mosul, five airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, two ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL weapons cache, three ISIL fighting positions and six ISIL bunkers.
• Near Ramadi, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL weapons cache.
• Near Sinjar, eight airstrikes [including by Britain] struck an ISIL tactical unit and seven ISIL staging areas and destroyed an ISIL anti-aircraft artillery weapon and an ISIL fighting position.
• Near Tal Afar, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s and other coalition aircraft conducted a very large series of attacks on ISIL terrorist positions in northern Iraq on the evening of Tuesday 4 August.

Previously, the Kurdish peshmerga, trained and equipped by the international coalition, including by a British Army training team, and well supported from the air, have liberated significant swathes of territory in northern Iraq from ISIL control, including key towns such as Rabiyah and Zumar, and rescued the Yazidi and other Kurdish refugees who were besieged by the terrorists a year ago on Mount Sinjar. A recent offensive, which RAF and other coalition aircraft supported, succeeded in driving back the terrorists to the west of Kirkuk.

Following these peshmerga successes, the ISIL terrorists had fallen back to the south-eastern foothills of Mount Sinjar, where they had taken over numerous buildings for use as headquarters, barracks, ammunition and equipment depots, all supporting a network of fortified positions several kilometres in length. Extensive surveillance by both the Kurdish troops on Mount Sinjar and from coalition aircraft confirmed that there was no residual civilian presence at these sites, and allowed some forty terrorist targets to be positively identified.

This intelligence work allowed the coalition to mount a large, carefully planned air attack on this array of targets, coordinated with a barrage of mortar and heavy weapon fire from the Kurdish positions on the mountain. Two RAF Tornado GR4s, supported by a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker, used Paveway IV precision guided bombs to strike six of the fortified ISIL targets. Initial analysis indicates that the attack was a success.

Further south the same day, an RAF Reaper meanwhile provided close air support to Iraqi army offensive operations in Anbar province. A group of armed terrorists were spotted getting into a vehicle, which was then tracked by the Reaper’s crew – despite the speed of the target, it was successfully hit by a Hellfire missile.

On Aug. 3, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three airstrikes using fighter, fighter-attack and remotely piloted aircraft. Separately in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 16 airstrikes coordinated with the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter-attack, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.

Coalition’s airstrikes continue to destroy and degrade ISIL tactical and combat equipment within the region.

“The Bayji airstrikes are a great example of directly supporting ISF in an urban fight that is hotly contested. In areas like Bayji, it is important to note that coalition forces have implemented significant mitigation measures within the targeting process and during the conduct of operations to reduce the potential of civilian casualties and collateral damage,” said Col. Michael Indovina, CJTF-OIR public affairs spokesman. “Our overall strategy has not changed: coalition airstrikes will provide maximum support to the defeat of Daesh.”

The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

• Near Al Hasakah, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions.
• Near Dayr Az Zawr, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

Iraq

• Near Al Huwayjah, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL checkpoints.
• Near Bayji, two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL building and an ISIL vehicle.
• Near Haditha, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL machine guns.
• Near Makhmur, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
• Near Mosul, two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL rocket launcher, an ISIL tank, an ISIL vehicle, two ISIL excavators, an ISIL bunker and an ISIL observation post.
• Near Ramadi, three airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL IEDs and an ISIL supply trailer.
• Near Sinjar, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, three ISIL light machine guns and five ISIL fighting positions.
• Near Tal Afar, three airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed 11 ISIL bunkers, three ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL light machine gun and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
• Near Tuz, one airstrike struck an ISIL mortar position.

Nederlandse F-16’s in het Midden-Oosten zetten wapens in tegen vuurposities en bunkers van ISIS-strijders. Dat gebeurde in meer dan 10 missies. In Erbil begon een nieuwe lichting Peshmerga aan de Infantry Battle Course en in Bagdad startte een nieuwe ploeg met de commando-opleiding.

De danske F-16-fly, der er udsendt som bidrag til Operation Inherent Resolve, har siden seneste opdatering 28. juli fløjet 12 missioner og anvendt 14 bomber.

Missionerne, som de danske fly har deltaget i, har været offensive, og de danske fly har i den forløbne periode primært deltaget i missioner i Ninawa og Al Anbar provinserne. Målene for bomberne har været fjendtligt personel og bygninger anvendt af ISIL.

De danske fly har fløjet Close Air Support-missioner (CAS), hvor flyene er indsat som luftstøtte til styrker på landjorden. Her vil flyene patruljere over et bestemt område, hvorefter de vil kunne blive indsat af koalitionen, når der er behov for støtte. Luftstøtten vil variere afhængig af, hvad der er behov for. Det kan både dreje sig om overvågningsopgaver og bombninger af mål.

De danske fly har også gennemført Air Interdiction-missioner. Her gennemføres et specifikt angreb mod et på forhånd defineret mål, hvor flyene flyver direkte til målet, anvender bomber og flyver retur. Ved disse missioner har målene for bomberne været bygninger anvendt af ISIL.

På de missioner, hvor de danske F-16 ikke har anvendt våben, har de bidraget med overvågning og indhentning af efterretninger. På sådanne overvågningsmissioner er flyene dog altid klar til at anvende våben, hvis der er behov for det.

Siden første mission den 16. oktober 2014, har det danske bidrag i alt fløjet 452 missioner og anvendt 397 bomber. Alle de danske bomber er præcisionsstyrede, hvilket vil sige, at de styres mod deres mål ved hjælp af enten laser eller GPS.