On April 23, 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 24 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using bomber, 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, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, and an ISIL anti-air artillery system.

* Near Mar’a, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike [1 Dutch?] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL weapons caches, an ISIL recoilless rifle, an ISIL VBIED factory, and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Al Huwayjah, one strike destroyed an ISIL tunnel system and an ISIL generator.

* Near Bayji, one strike destroyed three ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Fallujah, five strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL bunker, and three ISIL trench systems.

* Near Habbaniyah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL weapons cache, and an ISIL trench system.

* Near Hit, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL recoilless rifle.

* Near Kisik, four strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas, four ISIL improvised explosive devices, an ISIL observation camera and suppressed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Mosul, four strikes struck an ISIL modular refinery and an ISIL headquarters and destroyed an ISIL assembly area and two ISIL vehicles and damaged an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Ramadi, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

* Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, an ISIL VBIED and weapons facility and destroyed six ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL mortar system, and an ISIL supply cache.

On April 22, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 20 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and bomber, 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 Abu Kamal, one strike [1 British] struck an ISIL weapons factory.

* Near Al Hawl, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL checkpoint.

* Near Manbij, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL vehicles.

* Near Mar’a, one strike destroyed an ISIL staging area.

* Near Washiyah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, eight strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, two ISIL weapons storage facilities, and three ISIL bed down locations and destroyed three ISIL bunkers and denied ISIL access to terrain.

* Near Al Qaim, one strike [1 French] struck an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) facility.

* Near Bayji, one strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL VBIED.

* Near Fallujah, three strikes [1-2 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL-used bridge, an ISIL fighting position, two ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL bunker, and an ISIL tunnel system.

* Near Hit, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL heavy machine guns and an ISIL recoilless rifle.

* Near Kirkuk, one strike [1 British] destroyed an ISIL command and control node and an ISIL-used bridge.

* Near Mosul, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL weapons caches, an ISIL check point, two ISIL vehicles, and an ISIL VBIED.

* Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed two ISIL mortar systems.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike produced inconclusive results.

Friday 22 April – Reapers destroyed a car-bomb facility and a terrorist vehicle in Syria, Typhoons provided close air support in western Iraq, and Tornados destroyed a Daesh-built bridge and a communications post in northern Iraq…Two RAF Reapers operating over Syria conducted strikes on Friday 22 April. Near Abu Kamal, one Reaper provided surveillance support to a successful coalition attack on an improvised weapons factory, then used two of its own Hellfire missiles to demolish a nearby workshop used for constructing car-bombs. The second Reaper tracked a terrorist vehicle near Tabuqah, south-west of Raqqa, and destroyed it with a Hellfire.

In western Iraq, Typhoons continued to support Iraqi ground forces north of Fallujah, where they conducted four Paveway attacks against snipers, a bunker and an entrenched fighting position. Tornados patrolled south-west of Kirkuk, where two Paveways destroyed a bridge built by Daesh across a canal, and a communications post nearby.

Un engagement continu : en 36 heures, la force Chammal a réalisé 3 frappes planifiées en Syrie et en Irak.

État-major des armées | 23 avril 2016

es 21 et 22 avril 2016, la composante aérienne de la force Chammal a réalisé 3 frappes planifiées en moins de 36 heures contre des sites de Daech.
Ces missions, réalisées grâce aux renseignements recueillis dans les semaines précédentes, ont permis de frapper plusieurs infrastructures clés de l’organisation terroriste.
2 frappes planifiées ont été conduites en Syrie
Le 21 avril, deux patrouilles, composées de 2 et 4 Mirage 2000D, ont respectivement détruit dans la région d’Abu Kamal une infrastructure pétrolière utilisée à des fins militaires et une caserne.
1 frappe planifiée a été conduite en Irak
Le 22 avril, une patrouille composée de 2 Mirage 2000D a de nouveau frappé, visant un dépôt logistique dans la région de Al Qaim.

On April 21, 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 22 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using bomber, 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 [2 French] struck an ISIL bed down location and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) facility.

* Near Manbij, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units.

* Near Mar’a, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL vehicle, and two ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, two strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL bunker complex and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Bayji, one strike destroyed three ISIL bunkers.

* Near Fallujah, eight strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL heavy machine gun, three ISIL vehicles, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

* Near Kirkuk, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL command and control node, an ISIL vehicle, two ISIL assembly areas, and an ISIL VBIED storage facility.

* Near Kisik, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL tunnel entrance.

* Near Mosul, five strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL assembly area, and three ISIL supply caches and suppressed two separate ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Qayyarah, one strike produced inconclusive results.

* Near Sinjar, two strikes destroyed an ISIL VBIED and two ISIL asphalt steamrollers.

Thursday 21 April – Tornados employed deep penetration Enhanced Paveway III bombs against a bunker complex in western Iraq…A Tornado mission on Thursday 21 April saw the first use of the RAF’s Enhanced Paveway III (EPWIII) against Daesh – a guided bomb with a 2000lb deep penetration warhead. Our aircraft normally carry the smaller Paveway IV guided bombs and Brimstone missiles, which can be carried in larger numbers and are more useful for close air support missions. The EPW III has been held in reserve for use if needed against particularly challenging underground or hardened targets. The Tornados flew as part of a coalition air strike on a large complex of tunnels and bunkers dug into terraced hillsides above the Euphrates in western Iraq, successfully scoring direct hits with a pair of EPW IIIs on two entrances to the bunker network.

2 frappes planifiées ont été conduites en Syrie Le 21 avril, deux patrouilles, composées de 2 et 4 Mirage 2000D, ont respectivement détruit dans la région d’Abu Kamal une infrastructure pétrolière utilisée à des fins militaires et une caserne.

On April 20, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three 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 rocket artillery and bomber, 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 Abu Kamal, one strike struck an ISIL oil well head.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL rocket system.

* Near Mar’a, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and two ISIL main battle tanks. Iraq * Near Al Baghdadi, five strikes struck three separate ISIL staging facilities and destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) and damaged an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Ar Rutbah, one strike destroyed an ISIL VBIED.

* Near Fallujah, two strikes [2 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL bed down location.

* Near Haditha, one strike destroyed an ISIL tunnel system.

* Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed 27 ISIL boats and three ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Mosul, six strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed seven ISIL assembly areas, three ISIL vehicles, an ISIL supply cache, and an ISIL command and control node.

* Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL VBIED.

* Near Sinjar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL machine gun, an ISIL fighting position, and an ISIL assembly area.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL assembly area, and an ISIL rocket rail.

Wednesday 20 April – Typhoons provided close air support to Iraqi forces in western Iraq, while Tornados destroyed two buildings in the north…On Wednesday 20 April, Typhoons, supported by an RAF Voyager refuelling tanker, provided close air support to Iraqi troops operating north and east of Fallujah. Two successful Paveway attacks hit a machine-gun team in a trench and a mortar in a covered firing position. In northern Iraq, Tornados used Paveway IVs again to attack two Daesh-held buildings near Qayyarah.

Point de situation de l’opération Chammal

Au Levant l’évolution de la situation est toujours favorable aux forces locales.

Cette semaine, les opérations aériennes de la force Chammal se sont concentrées sur l’appui des forces de sécurité irakienne (FSI) engagées dans la reconquête de la ville de Hit. La libération de la ville a été officiellement annoncée le 14 avril par les autorités irakiennes.

En Irak : Daech perd progressivement du terrain sous la pression des FSI et notamment des troupes de l’ICTS (Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service), dans la formation desquelles la France est particulièrement impliquée.

Au Nord, les forces irakiennes poursuivent leurs opérations le long du Tigre. Elles maintiennent leurs efforts pour s’emparer de la ville de Qayyarah que Daech défend âprement. Cette ville constitue pour le groupe terroriste un verrou stratégique sur la route de Mossoul.

Au Sud, les forces Irakiennes poursuivent leurs opérations le long de l’Euphrate, marquées cette semaine par la libération de la ville de Hit et par le maintien de l’encerclement autour de Fallujah.

En Syrie :les forces de Daechs ont sur la défensive. Elles subissent toujours une très forte pression, notamment dans la région de Deir ez-Zor où elles mènent de durs combats pour éviter l’isolement de Raqqa.

Efforts de la coalition en Irak

La coalition OIR (Operation Inherent Resolve) poursuit ses efforts visant à démanteler l’organisation terroriste en isolant ses fiefs, en dégradant ses moyens militaires, et en désorganisant ses réseaux et ses flux logistiques. Les 3 axes d’effort de la coalition sont :

mettre sous pression et isoler Raqqah ;

isoler Mossoul pour à terme permettre sa reconquête ;

stabiliser l’Anbar.

Depuis le 13 avril 2016, la force Chammal a réalisé 61 sorties au-dessus de l’Irak et de la Syrie, dont 49 de bombardement et 12 de recueil de renseignement. Au total 6 frappes ont permis de détruire 8 objectifs de Daesh.

On April 19, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes using attack 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 bomber, ground-attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Coalition military forces also conducted one strike in Syria in support of Coalition operations using attack aircraft. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

* Near Manbij, one strike destroyed an ISIL artillery piece.
* Near Mar’a, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and damaged a third ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

* Near Fallujah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL cache and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Habbaniyah, one strike produced inconclusive results.
* Near Hit, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun.
* Near Kirkuk, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL bulldozer and an ISIL assembly area.
* Near Kisik, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL assembly area, 24 ISIL rocket rails, and an ISIL fighting position and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Mosul, nine strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL staging area, an ISIL-used power plant, and four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas, three ISIL supply caches, an ISIL mortar system, and two ISIL vehicles and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Sinjar, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL supply cache and five ISIL asphalt steamrollers.
* Near Tal Afar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

Coalition military forces conducted one strike in Syria in support of Coalition operations using attack aircraft:

* Near Ayn Isa, one strike struck inoperable Coalition equipment denying ISIL access in support of Coalition operations.

Tuesday 19 April – Tornados and Typhoons attacked Daesh targets in northern and western Iraq, including three mortars and two machine-gun teams…In northern Iraq, Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s spotted a tractor pulling a large towed mortar near Barimah on Tuesday 19 April. A hit from a Brimstone missile brought the tractor to a halt, and a Paveway IV guided bomb then destroyed the mortar. Near Mosul, a pair of Typhoons accounted for two more mortars, hitting them with Paveways which also destroyed their stockpiled ammunition. In western Iraq, another Tornado mission assisted Iraqi forces, who had liberated the town of Hit the previous week, as they cleared terrorist positions across the Euphrates on the northern bank. The Tornados destroyed two machine-gun positions using Paveway IVs.

Chammal : 6 frappes contre Daech en Irak cette semaine, 8 objectifs détruits

État-major des armées | 20 avril 2016

Du 13 au 19 avril 2016, la composante aérienne de la force Chammal a réalisé 61 sorties, dont 49 de bombardement et 12 de recueil de renseignement.

Ces sorties ont permis la réalisation de 6 frappes, aboutissant à la destruction de 8 objectifs.

La force Chammal a concentré ses missions de bombardement au-dessus de la vallée de l’Euphrate, à l’ouest de l’Irak, où les chasseurs français ont en particulier appuyé les opérations terrestres de reconquête de la ville de Hit.

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

2 frappes dans les secteurs de Mossoul et de Sinjar

4 frappes dans le long de la vallée de l’Euphrate

Les missions d’appui au sol : capacité déterminante apportée par la Coalition aux forces irakiennes

Les équipages de l’armée de l’air engagés en Irak et en Syrie, réalisent trois grands types de mission : des missions de renseignement, des frappes sur des objectifs planifiés et des frappes d’opportunité.

Les missions d’appui au sol (Close Air Support ou CAS) sont des frappes d’opportunité destinées à aider les forces irakiennes engagées au sol dans les combats contre Daech. Ces missions permettent d’exercer une pression permanente sur l’adversaire, tout en confortant l’action des troupes au sol.

Dans les zones les plus sensibles ou les zones d’effort, ce soutien est quasi permanent, de jour comme de nuit. Pour les combattants au sol, cette permanence représente la garantie de pouvoir bénéficier à tout moment d’une frappe permettant de venir à bout d’un point de résistance ou de se dégager d’une difficulté.

Dans les airs, cette notion de permanence reste toutefois très délicate. En effet, un avion ne peut demeurer indéfiniment en vol. Pour obtenir une telle permanence, la coalition doit donc s’appuyer sur l’ensemble des chasseurs dont elle dispose, en répartissant leur emploi selon des créneaux horaires (Slot ou Time Block) sur une zone donnée. Assurer les combattants irakiens de pouvoir disposer d’un appui CAS implique donc un travail de planification important des moyens aériens disponibles.

Chaque patrouille de chasseur est ainsi engagée dans le cadre d’une manœuvre d’ensemble, sur un créneau horaire spécifié et au-dessus d’une zone précise.

En fonction du déroulement des combats au sol, les aéronefs peuvent être amenés à réaliser une ou plusieurs frappes. Coordonnées depuis le centre de commandement des opérations aériennes d’Al Udeid (CAOC) au Qatar, elles sont conduites sur demande des forces locales engagées contre Daech. Elles ne sont donc pas systématiques. Il arrive par conséquent que certains chasseurs rentrent de mission sans avoir eu à utiliser leur armement, alors que d’autres seront amenés à bombarder à plusieurs reprises.

L’appui au sol constitue une capacité déterminante apportée par la Coalition aux forces irakiennes dans leur lutte contre Daech, tant sur le plan moral (certitude de pouvoir bénéficier d’une frappe) que sur le plan tactique, lorsqu’un bombardement frappe effectivement l’adversaire.

Monday 18 April – Typhoons and Tornados bombed terrorist targets in northern and western Iraq, including two mortar positions, ten rocket launchers and an improvised explosive device factory…The next day, Monday 18 April, a Typhoon mission used Paveways to attack two mortar positions which had opened fire on Kurdish troops near Kisik, while a pair of Tornados conducted simultaneous attacks on three Daesh targets north-east of Mosul, hitting a bomb-making factory and two other terrorist-held buildings. In western Iraq, Typhoons dropped four Paveways to destroy ten rocket-launchers and a stockpile of ammunition positioned on the bank of the Euphrates.

On April 18, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted one strike using 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 bomber, 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 Ar Raqqah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed 10 ISIL rocket rails and an ISIL supply cache.

* Near Al Huwayjah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL staging area.

* Near Ar Rutbah, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Kisik, three strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and two ISIL tunnels and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Mosul, seven strikes [1 British, 1 Dutch?] struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas, three ISIL supply caches, an ISIL fighting position, two ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED), an ISIL VBIED factory, an ISIL bed down location, and an ISIL vehicle and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit and denied ISIL access to terrain.

* Near Qayyarah, one strike struck an ISIL weapons storage facility.

* Near Sinjar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike destroyed three ISIL rocket rails.

On April 17, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes using ground-attack 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 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 Dayr Az Zawr, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

* Near Manbij, two strikes [1 British?] destroyed two ISIL anti-air artillery pieces.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, three strikes struck an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL communications facility, and an ISIL staging area.

* Near Fallujah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Kirkuk, one strike [1 British] struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL vehicles.

* Near Kisik, three strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL assembly areas and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL rocket team.

* Near Mosul, four strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL mortar positions, two ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL vehicle, and an ISIL boat and suppressed an ISIL rocket team.

* Near Qayyarah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL safe house.

* Near Sinjar, one strike suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.

Sunday 17 April – Tornados attacked a mortar position in northern Syria, while Typhoons bombed Daesh positions in northern Iraq…A Tornado armed reconnaissance patrol over northern Syria on Sunday 17 April bombed a Daesh large calibre mortar position near Manbij. In northern Iraq, a Typhoon flight used a total of eight Paveways in a succession of successful strikes around Kisik, Mosul and south of Kirkuk, destroying a terrorist mortar team, four vehicles, and three Daesh-held buildings.

Nederlandse F-16’s ondersteunden de opmars van grondtroepen van de Iraakse Security Force rond de stad Hit, in de vallei van de Eufraat. De jachtvliegtuigen van de Air Task Force Middle East (ATF ME) schakelden ter voorbereiding op de invasie, samen met coalitiepartners, verschillende doelen uit rond Hit. Dat gebeurde afgelopen weken al. Een overzicht van Defensieoperaties in de week van 11 tot 18 april 2016.

Grondtroepen zuiverden Hit van de laatste ISIS strijders. Daar waar zij tegenstand ondervonden, kregen ze precisie-luchtsteun van de coalitie. Diverse malen bevrijdden vliegers de grondtroepen uit benarde situaties, door tientallen strijders, mortierposities en schuillocaties van ISIS uit te schakelen. Met dagelijkse steun van de ATF en andere coalitiepartners werd in enkele dagen tijd de hele stad bevrijd. Daarmee is opnieuw een belangrijke stap gezet in het verslaan van ISIS en de bevrijding van Irak. Een uitgebreid overzicht van de inzet van de coalitie in de strijd tegen ISIS staat bij CENTCOM.

Midden-Oosten

70 vrouwelijke Peshmerga namen in de Iraaks-Koerdische stad Suleimaniya hun certificaat “militaire basisvaardigheden” in ontvangst. De afgelopen 3 weken zijn deze vrouwen getraind door Britse en Nederlandse instructeurs om te vechten tegen ISIS.

In het Iraakse Erbil werden de andere trainingen aan Koerdische Peshmerga-strijders voortgezet. Daarnaast kregen Iraakse commando’s diverse cursussen, waaronder een sniper– en een medische cursus.

On April 16, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted nine strikes using attack, ground-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 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, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike destroyed an ISIL pump jack and an ISIL oil separator.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

* Near Manbij, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

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

Iraq

* Near Fallujah, one strike destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL recoilless rifle.

* Near Haditha, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

* Near Hit, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL excavator, and an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Irbil, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system.

* Near Kisik, one strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Mosul, six strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, four ISIL assembly areas, and three ISIL vehicles.

* Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL rocket rail.

* Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system.