On Mar. 9, Coalition military forces conducted 32 strikes consisting of 104 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 19 strikes consisting of 34 engagements against ISIS targets.

*Near Ar Raqqah, 13 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units; destroyed four vehicles, a fighting position, a tactical vehicle, an ISIS headquarters, and a VBIED factory; and damaged three supply routes.

*Near Dayr Az Zawr, six strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed fives barges, four well heads, and a weapons factory; and damaged an ISIS-held building.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 13 strikes consisting of 70 engagements coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq against ISIS targets.

*Near Al Huwayjah, one strike damaged a tunnel.

*Near Bayji, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions, two vehicles, and a weapons cache.

*Near Mosul, six strikes [2 British] engaged five ISIS tactical units and an ISIS staging area; destroyed 11 vehicles, nine mortar systems, eight fighting positions, five VBIEDs, two medium machine guns, two roadblocks, two watercraft, an anti-air artillery system, a supply cache, an ammunition cache, and a recoilless rifle; damaged 15 supply routes; and suppressed 10 mortar teams.

*Near Sinjar, two strikes destroyed a weapons storage facility and an ISIS headquarters

*Near Tal Afar, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and an ISIS staging area.

Thursday 9 March – Typhoons and Tornados attacked five targets in Mosul, as well as a Daesh tunnel to the west of Kirkuk…A Coalition surveillance patrol observed a Daesh tunnel system some 30 miles west of Kirkuk on Thursday 9 March. Royal Air Force Typhoons used a single Paveway IV guided bomb to collapse the tunnel entrance. The Typhoons then flew north-west to support Iraqi forces in western Mosul. Two choke-points had been identified on the road network into a district which the Iraqi troops were clearing. These choke-points were duly struck with Paveway IVs to prevent any Daesh reinforcements or truck-bombs being moved into the area. Tornados were also active that day over Mosul. They successfully used a total of three Paveway IVs to engage two mortars and a building from which Daesh fighters were firing at the Iraqi forces.

On Mar. 8, Coalition military forces conducted 22 strikes consisting of 82 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes consisting of 21 engagements against ISIS targets.

*Near Ar Raqqah, nine strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed three weapons caches, two mortar systems, an artillery system, an ISIS training center, a vehicle, a VBIED, and a fighting position.



*Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed two barges, five well heads, a fighting positions, and a vehicle; and damaged two barges.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted eight strikes consisting of 61 engagements coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq against ISIS targets.

*Mosul, fives strikes [1-2 British] engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed six vehicles, five tanker trucks, four mortar systems, 4 VBIEDs, two supply caches, a fighting position, an artillery system, an ISIS-held building, a tactical vehicle, an ISIS headquarters, and a weapons storage facility; damaged 32 supply routes; and suppressed nine mortar teams, a sniper team, a medium machine gun team, and an ISIS tactical unit.

*Near Rawah, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit; and destroyed two heavy machine guns and a weapons cache.

*Tal Afar, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and an ISIS staging area; and destroyed two vehicles, an ISIS-held building, and a tactical vehicle.

Wednesday 8 March – Tornados engaged a mortar position north-west of Mosul, and Daesh extremists, including a sniper, within the city…On Wednesday 8 March, a pair of Tornados initially operated north-west of Mosul, where they struck a mortar position on the south bank of the Tigris using a Paveway IV. They then provided direct support to Iraqi forces inside western Mosul, engaging a sniper who was firing on the Iraqis, and hitting a building defended by a number of terrorists.

Opération Chammal

En Syrie le recul de Daech se poursuit. Après avoir dû se retirer d’Al Bab la semaine passée, l’organisation terroriste a perdu cette semaine le contrôle de la ville de Palmyre, tandis que la manœuvre d’isolement de Raqqah au Nord de l’Euphrate est sur le point de s’achever.

En Irak, Daech tente d’entretenir l’insécurité en poursuivant sa campagne d’actions asymétriques, en particulier dans l’Anbar, dans une logique de dispersion des forces engagées contre elle.

En périphérie de Mossoul Ouest, la manœuvre d’encerclement menée par les forces de sécurité irakiennes (FSI) progresse dans sa partie occidentale. Les combats qui ont lieu depuis le début de la semaine autour de la localité de Badush au Nord-Ouest de la ville en sont la conséquence.

Dans la partie sud de Mossoul Ouest, les FSI poursuivent également leur progression dans le centre urbain et se trouvent désormais aux portes du centre historique. Avançant toujours le long du Tigre depuis l’aéroport, les combattants de la police fédérale et de l’ICTS sécurisent méthodiquement chaque quartier, faisant face à une défense féroce des combattants terroristes. Dans le même temps, Daech maintient ses actions de harcèlement contre la partie orientale de Mossoul, en réalisant des tirs de mortiers sporadiques et aveugles.

Appui aérien au Levant

Cette semaine, les aéronefs ont réalisé 29 sorties aériennes dont 26 de reconnaissance armée ou d’appui au sol (CAS), et 3 de recueil de renseignement. 9 frappes ont été réalisées par les avions français, elles ont permis la destruction de 12 objectifs.

En Irak, les 8 frappes ont toutes été réalisées en appui des opérations sur Mossoul. Elles s’inscrivent dans le cadre de l’appui des troupes irakiennes engagées dans l’offensive visant à reprendre la partie ouest de Mossoul. Elles ont ciblé des positions de mortier et des positions défensives dans la ville de Mossoul elle-même, ainsi que dans la périphérie de Badush.

En Syrie, dans la région de Raqqah, une patrouille de Rafale a été engagée en mission d’appui des troupes au sol pour neutraliser des combattants de Daech menant une attaque contre des forces démocratiques syriennes.

Appui feu – Task Force Wagram

Cette semaine, l’effort du détachement de la Task Force (TF) Wagram, désormais regroupée sur une même emprise au nord de Mossoul, s’est intensifié. Les appuis ont marqué l’effort au profit des troupes engagées au sol dans la région de Badush.

53 missions ont été réalisées cette semaine. Elles comprennent 22 actions de neutralisation, destruction ou harcèlement visant soit à détruire des positions défensives adverses, soit à empêcher tout mouvement des groupes de combattants de Daech. 31 missions d’éclairement ont également été effectuées afin d’entraver les tentatives d’infiltration de la part de groupes de combattants terroristes cherchant à mener des actions de harcèlement nocturne contre les FSI.

On Mar. 7, Coalition military forces conducted 32 strikes consisting of 100 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 20 strikes consisting of 25 engagements against ISIS targets.

*Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed two well heads.

*Near Ar Raqqah, four strikes destroyed three fighting positions, two tunnels, a vehicle repair facility, and a tactical vehicle.

*Near Dayr Az Zawr, 13 strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed six well heads, three gas oil separation plants, a vehicle, a fighting position, a VBIED, a weapons storage facility, and a tank.

*Near Manbij, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a tactical vehicle.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes consisting of 75 engagements coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq against ISIS targets.

*Near Al Qaim, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two vehicles.

*Near Bayji, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and an ISIS staging area.

*Near Mosul, six strikes [1-2 British] engaged five ISIS tactical units and an ISIS staging area; destroyed nine fighting positions, four mortar systems, three VBIEDs, two VBIED factories, two vehicles, a supply cache, a UAV launch site, a medium machine gun, an ISIS-held building, a watercraft, and a command and control node; damaged 11 supply routes and a fighting position; and suppressed two ISIS tactical units and a sniper team.

*Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed an artillery system and two supply caches.

*Near Tal Afar, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS-held building, a weapons cache, a tactical vehicle, an ISIS headquarters, and an improvised weapons factory.

Tuesday 7 March – Tornados eliminated a sniper team in Mosul, while Typhoons cut a road linking Mosul with Daesh positions to the north-west…Similar work was performed by Paveway-armed Typhoons the following day [March 7th], when they cut a major highway leading out of Mosul towards positions still held by Daesh to the north-west of the city. Inside Mosul, a Tornado flight used a Paveway IV to deal very effectively with a sniper team which was holding up an Iraqi advance.

On Mar. 6, Coalition military forces conducted 32 strikes consisting of 92 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 21 strikes consisting of 31 engagements against ISIS targets.

* Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed a gas oil separation plant and damaged a bridge.

* Near Al Shadaddi, one strike [1 British?] destroyed an ISIS headquarters.

* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike destroyed a footbridge and an ISIS-held building.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, 16 strikes destroyed nine well heads, six fighting positions, three oil inlet manifolds, three barges, a pump jack, and a connex; and damaged three supply routes and two bridges.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes consisting of 61 engagements coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq against ISIS targets.

* Near Al Huwayjah, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and an ISIS staging area; and destroyed a tunnel complex.

* Near Al Qaim, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an anti-air artillery system and a vehicle.



* Near Mosul, five strikes [1 British] engaged five ISIS tactical units; destroyed nine fighting positions, five VBIEDs, four vehicles, three roadblocks, two mortar systems, two tactical vehicles, two rocket-propelled grenade systems, a supply cache, an artillery system, a sniper position, a UAV launch site, and a VBIED factory; damaged 23 vehicles, 10 supply routes, and a tunnel; and suppressed two mortar teams.

* Near Sinjar, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike destroyed a mortar system.

Monday 6 March – Typhoons demolished a Daesh headquarters in eastern Syria, while Tornados struck terrorist supply routes within Mosul…Careful intelligence analysis allowed the Coalition to pinpoint the location of a Daesh headquarters at a compound in a remote area of eastern Syria. Two Typhoons were dispatched from RAF Akrotiri on Monday 6 March, targeting the two key buildings within the compound. Both were demolished by Paveway IV guided bombs. Tornados meanwhile supported Iraqi ground operations in western Mosul by using Paveway IVs to strike three key routes within the city, helping to prevent Daesh from sending reinforcements or truck-bombs to areas being successfully liberated by the Iraqi troops.