Depuis le 16 décembre 2015, les équipages français ont réalisé 71 sorties aériennes au-dessus des zones contrôlées par Daech en Irak et en Syrie, dont 57 de bombardement en appui des troupes irakiennes au sol ou sur un objectif planifié, et 6 de recueil de renseignement. 18 frappes ont détruit 43 objectifs de Daech.

Appui au sol (close air support)

16 frappes d’appui au sol ont été réalisées au cours de la semaine.

• En Irak, la force Chammal a concentré ses efforts sur les missions d’appui au sol dans la région de Mossoul, où les combattants de Daech occupent des positions et harcèlent les forces au sol.
• Des frappes ont par ailleurs été réalisées dans les régions de Tall Afar, Sinjar, Falloujah, et Ramadi.

Frappe sur des objectifs planifiés (deliberate)

2 raids ont été menés sur des objectif planifiés au cours de la semaine.

• Le 19 décembre 2015, les Mirage 2000 et les Rafale de l’armée de l’air ont frappé dans la région de Raqqah un site de production pétrolier
• Le 22 décembre 2015, les Super-Etendard du GAN ont frappé un centre logistique situé entre Ramadi et Fallujah.

On Dec. 22, 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. In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 24 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, bomber, 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 building, an ISIL vehicle, four ISIL fighting positions, and an ISIL rocket system.

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

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

* Near Mar’a, two strikes destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns and two ISIL mortar systems.

* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

Iraq

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

* Near Habbaniyah, five strikes struck four ISIL staging areas and an ISIL headquarters.

* Near Mosul, eight strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL building, an ISIL crane, an ISIL bulldozer, two ISIL excavators, two ISIL vehicles, five ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL light machine gun, an ISIL checkpoint, and wounded an ISIL fighter.

* Near Ramadi, four strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL bunker, 19 ISIL fighting positions, three ISIL sniper positions, an ISIL anti-air artillery piece, four ISIL RPG positions, two ISIL recoilless rifles, two ISIL grenade launcher positions, two ISIL heavy machine gun positions, three ISIL command and control nodes, two ISIL bed down locations, an ISIL staging area, cratered an ISIL-used road, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

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

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

* Near Fallujah, one strike destroyed an ISIL bunker.

* Near Kisik, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

With Iraqi troops conducting ground assaults on Daesh positions in Ramadi on 22 December, two pairs of RAF Tornados and a Reaper, provided the Iraqis with continuous close air support alongside other coalition aircraft. When the Daesh fighters fired rocket-propelled grenades and small arms at Iraqi soldiers tending to wounded personnel, the Tornados intervened with a very accurate Paveway strike.

The Reaper, meanwhile, assisted other coalition aircraft in an attack that destroyed an anti-aircraft gun.

A third pair of Tornados were over northern Iraq, supporting the Kurdish peshmerga, and conducted two successful Paveway IV attacks that destroyed a Daesh-held building and an observation post.

Nederlandse F-16’s, actief in het Midden-Oosten in de strijd tegen ISIS, voerden meer dan 5 missies uit. Daarbij zetten zij wapens in tegen vuurposities en wapenopslagplaatsen van ISIS.

In Erbil gaven Nederlandse instructeurs les aan Peshmerga-strijders. Het is de achtste keer dat zij met instructeurs van de coalitie de Infantry Battle Course geven. In Bagdad gaven Nederlandse militairen les aan Iraakse commando’s. Daarnaast slaagden er meer dan 500 andere commando’s voor hun initiële training.

On Dec. 21, 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. In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 17 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, bomber, 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 and destroyed an ISIL building.

* Near Al Hawl, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike struck an ISIL excavator.

* Near Mar’a, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL fighting position, damaged an ISIL fighting position, and wounded two ISIL fighters.

Iraq

* Near Fallujah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an improvised explosive device (IED) facility and wounded two ISIL fighters.

* Near Kisik, one strike suppressed ISIL rocket fire.

* Near Mosul, seven strikes [2 British] struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL building, 12 ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL heavy machine gun, two ISIL vehicles, five ISIL bunkers, and destroyed seven ISIL assembly areas.

* Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL excavator.

* Near Ramadi, six strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL command and control nodes, four ISIL weapons caches, two ISIL buildings, an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), wounded two ISIL fighters, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

The following day, Monday 21 December, Typhoon FGR4s and an RAF Reaper operated around the Mosul area. The Typhoons used a Paveway IV bomb to destroy a Daesh vehicle, while the Reaper provided targeting support to a coalition air strike that destroyed a terrorist mortar position before delivering two attacks with its own Hellfire missiles which destroyed a supply vehicle and a Daesh-held building.

On Dec. 20, 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. In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, bomber, 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 Mar

* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike [French] struck five ISIL gas and oil separation points and two ISIL crude oil collection points.

Two Tornado GR4s patrolled over northern Iraq on Sunday 20 December and conducted a successful attack with a Paveway IV guided bomb on a large group of Daesh terrorists, loading supplies into a truck.

A second pair of GR4s flew a reconnaissance mission over Ramadi, where they provided surveillance assistance to an attack by other coalition aircraft. The GR4s were then diverted north to the area around Bayji, where Iraqi ground forces were in close combat with Daesh extremists. Despite the close proximity of the Iraqi troops, the Tornados were able to conduct two sucessful precision attacks with Paveway IVs on the terrorists, who had been directing rocket and small arms fire at the Iraqis.

Le 19 décembre 2015, les Mirage 2000 et les Rafale de l’armée de l’air ont frappé dans la région de Raqqah un site de production pétrolier.

On Dec. 19, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, bomber, and ground-attack aircraft. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Near Bayji, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, three ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL cave and cave entrance, and damaged six ISIL fighting
Near Fallujah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) facility and denied ISIL access to terrain.
Near Mosul, six strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL excavators, an ISIL checkpoint, and suppressed an ISIL sniper position.
Near Ramadi, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL VBIED facility, an ISIL rocket position, two ISIL buildings, an ISIL tactical vehicle, and an ISIL tanker.
Near Sinjar, one strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

On Dec. 18, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes using attack and fighter aircraft. Separately in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 17 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, and bomber aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

* Near Ayn Isa, two strikes destroyed four ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.
* Near Manbij, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.

Iraq

* Near Fallujah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, four ISIL fighting positions, and an ISIL front end loader. One strike is currently under investigation for a potential friendly fire incident.
* Near Kirkuk, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL excavator and wounded ISIL fighters.
* Near Makhmur, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL light machine gun and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
* Near Mosul, six strikes [1 or 2 Canadian, 1 British] struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, two ISIL fighting positions, damaged an ISIL bunker, and suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL mortar position.
* Near Ramadi, four strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), an ISIL building, nine ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL sniper position, an ISIL staging area, and denied ISIL access to terrain.
* Near Sinjar, three strikes [1 British] struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns, and two ISIL fighting positions.

On 18 Dec 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, two CF-18 Hornets successfully struck three ISIS fighting positions northwest of Mosul, Iraq, using precision guided munitions‎.

On Friday 18 December, Typhoons and Tornados operated over the Sinjar and Mosul areas, suppressing Daesh mortar positions with two Paveway attacks, while over Ramadi, Tornado GR4s supported the Iraqi forces again and struck three terrorist positions with Paveway IVs.