Wednesday 6 April – Typhoons provided intensive air support to Iraqi ground forces in Hit, while Tornados struck a network of trenches in northern Iraq…Wednesday 6 April saw a Typhoon flight tasked to provide close air support to the Iraqi security forces attacking Daesh strongholds in Hit. The Typhoons used Paveways to strike a total of seven targets identified by the aircraft themselves, the Iraqi forces and supporting surveillance aircraft. A rocket-propelled grenade team firing from a building were silenced in a precise strike which avoided causing damage to a nearby mosque. They also destroyed two heavy-machine guns; a third heavy machine-gun on the northern bank of the river; and a series of simultaneous attacks eliminated a fourth machine-gun position and two more groups of Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG)-armed terrorists. In northern Iraq, Tornado GR4s bombed a network of trenches near Qayyarah.

On April 4, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 19 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and 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 disabled two ISIL pump jacks.

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

* Near Manbij, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle, two ISIL rocket systems, and an ISIL heavy machine gun.

* Near Mar’a, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL vehicles, an ISIL front end loader, seven ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED), an ISIL mortar position, and suppressed two ISIL rocket positions.

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

* Near Fallujah, one strike [1 British] struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and five ISIL defensive fighting positions.

* Near Hit, two strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL fighting position, and seven ISIL boats.

* Near Kisik, four strikes struck three ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL staging area, an ISIL bunker, an ISIL supply cache, and an ISIL fighting position.

* Near Mosul, one strike struck an ISIL headquarters.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, six strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL VBIED, five ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL assembly area, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL rocket system, an ISIL trench, and suppressed an ISIL sniper position and denied ISIL access to terrain.

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

Monday 4 April – Tornados and Typhoons struck five Daesh positions in western and northern Iraq…On Monday 4 April, Typhoon FGR4s patrolled over Anbar province in western Iraq. East of Fallujah, the Typhoons struck two buildings occupied by Daesh fighters that had been identified by Iraqi ground forces with Paveway IV guided bombs. The aircraft then flew to the city of Hit, on the Euphrates river, where a coalition surveillance aircraft had spotted a large group of terrorists positioned in a line of trees on the edge of the town. These extremists were also struck using a Paveway IV.

Other RAF aircraft were active over northern Iraq; Tornado GR4s assisted Kurdish peshmerga engaged in a firefight north-west of Mosul, hitting their Daesh opponents with a Paveway, whilst Typhoons conducted a successful bombing attack on extremists mustering near Qayyarah.

On April 3, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using 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 Hasakah, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

* Near Al Hawl, six strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL anti-air artillery piece, three ISIL vehicles, and two ISIL tactical vehicles, and four ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Ar Raqqah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL headquarters and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL workover rig, an ISIL front-end loader, and four ISIL pump jacks.

* Dayr Az Zawr, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions and two ISIL VBIEDs.

* Near Idlib, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL buildings.

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

* Near Mar’a, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Hit, three strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL VBIED, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL recoilless rifle, and an ISIL staging area and denied ISIL access to terrain.

* Near Kirkuk, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL heavy machine gun.

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

* Near Mosul, two strikes destroyed an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL command and control node, and an ISIL tactical vehicle and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL weapons storage facility and an ISIL staging facility.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL supply cache.

Het F-16-detachementvloog dagelijks missies boven Irak en Oost-Syrië ter ondersteuning van Operation Inherent Resolve. Een overzicht van Defensieoperaties in de week van 29 maart tot 3 april 2016.

Midden-Oosten

Het luchtmachtdetachement in het Midden-Oosten zette tijdens verschillende missies precisie wapens in tegen ISIS strijders, vuurposities, hoofdkwartieren en munitieopslaglocaties in onder meer de provincie zuid-Mosul. Tijdens een van de missies ondersteunden de vliegers Iraakse grondtroepen tijdens een aanval door ISIS in een fel man-tegen-mangevecht. Dankzij kordaat optreden werd de ISIS-aanval afgeslagen.’

De operaties van de coalitie dragen bij aan de inspanningen van de Iraakse strijdkrachten om Mosul te bevrijden. Sinds de start van de campagne voerde de coalitie onder leiding van de Verenigde Staten meer dan 1200 luchtaanvallen uit op ISIS-strijders en hun posities rondom Mosul. Deze aanvallen hebben een steeds groter effect op de slagkracht van ISIS. Meer informatie over de inzet van de coalitie als geheel, vindt u op de site van US Central Command.

Chammal : L’Atlantique 2 permet la destruction d’un groupe terroriste en Irak

Le 3 avril 2016, pour la première fois, l’Atlantique 2 (ATL2), équipé de sa caméra Wescam, a effectué une illumination laser d’une cible pour permettre à un avion de la coalition de la frapper un groupe armé terroriste (GAT). Au cours de cette action qui s’est déroulée dans la région de Hit, en Irak, l’ATL 2 a contribué à la destruction d’un groupe de combattants qui s’opposait aux forces irakiennes. Ce procédé n’ayant auparavant jamais été utilisé par l’ATL 2 en opération, celui-ci ajoute ainsi une nouvelle corde à son arc.

Alors qu’il réalisait un vol de reconnaissance au-dessus de Hit, l’équipage de l’avion a repéré un groupe de combattant de Daech qui s’opposait aux forces irakiennes, progressant vers l’Euphrate. Evoluant rapidement, les terroristes cherchent systématiquement à se cacher des observations aériennes.

L’observateur embarqué dans l’ATL2 (Forward Air Controller-Airborn, FAC-A) a transmis les renseignements au contrôleur aérien avancé (Joint Terminal Attack Controller, JTAC). Des chasseurs de la coalition en patrouille ont pris en compte cette information et se sont rapprochés de la zone.

Un dialogue s’est alors établi entre l’ATL2 et le JTAC pour suivre la progression masquée des terroristes. Arrivés en bordure de l’Euphrate, les combattants se sont regroupés à couvert, de sorte que seul l’ATL2 pouvait parvenir à les suivre de visu. Les conditions favorables étant réunies et répondant à l’ordre du JTAC, l’ATL2 a conduit une désignation laser des cibles pour permettre à la frappe d’un chasseur allié d’être guidée sur l’objectif.

Lancée depuis le 19 septembre 2014, l’opération Chammal mobilise 1000 militaires. Elle vise, à la demande du gouvernement irakien et en coordination avec les alliés de la France présents dans la région, à assurer un soutien aérien en Irak et en Syrie dans la lutte contre le groupe terroriste Daech, en frappant l’organisation terroriste avec ses moyens aériens. Le dispositif complet est actuellement structuré autour de quatorze avions de chasse de l’armée de l’Air (six Rafale, huit Mirage 2000D) d’un avion de patrouille maritime Atlantique2 ainsi que de capacités de renseignement, de commandement, de contrôle (C2) et de ravitaillement. Il comprend également des militaires projetés à Bagdad pour la formation et le conseil des militaires irakiens.

On April 2, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted four 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 rocket artillery and 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 Manbij, two strikes destroyed an ISIL rocket rail system and two ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Mar’a, two strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

Iraq

* Near Fallujah, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit.

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

* Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL used-bridge, an ISIL VBIED factory, 22 ISIL boats, and an ISIL bed down location and denied ISIL access to terrain.

* Near Kirkuk, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL VBIED, and an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Mosul, six strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL machine gun, and two ISIL vehicles.

* Near Qayyarah, six strikes [2 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL weapons storage facility and destroyed four ISIL mortar firing positions, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL VBIED production facility, and 13 ISIL staging areas.

* Near Rawah, one strike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar system.

Saturday 2 April – Tornados conducted a major attack on a large weapons storage and manufacturing facility in northern Iraq, while a Reaper eliminated a mobile mortar team…Coalition surveillance operations had identified Daesh extremists using a former Iraqi military ammunition depot near Qayyarah in northern Iraq. This intelligence indicated that the terrorists were manufacturing improvised explosive devices and other weaponry on the site. As part of a large coalition air strike on terrorist facilities in the area, four RAF Tornado GR4s were tasked with attacking 16 of these storage bunkers on Saturday 2 April. Each aircraft dropped a salvo of four Paveways, and initial indications are that the strike was highly accurate and effective. An RAF Reaper was also active in the Qayyarah area, hunting a Daesh mortar team. The aircraft’s crew were able successfully to locate the team, operating a truck-mounted mortar, concealed under trees on the western bank of the Tigris, and secured a direct hit with a Hellfire missile.

On April 1, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes using attack 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 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, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

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

* Near Mar’a, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 10 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL bunkers, an ISIL mortar position, and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

Iraq

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

* Near Habbaniyah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL weapons cache.

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

* Near Hit, two strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL VBIED, two ISIL fuel tankers, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL-used bridge, an ISIL barge, eight ISIL boats, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

* Near Kirkuk, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL command and control node, four ISIL assembly areas, and an ISIL supply cache.

* Near Qayyarah, seven strikes [1 French] struck three separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL weapons cache and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL command and control node, two ISIL vehicles, and an ISIL-used unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

* Near Ramadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL anti-air artillery piece.

* Near Sinjar, two strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and suppressed an ISIL mortar firing position.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed six ISIL rocket rails and an ISIL supply cache.

Friday 1 April – Typhoons bombed a Daesh vehicles and a bunker in western Iraq, while Tornados destroyed three terrorist positions in the north of the country…Typhoons were also active over western Iraq on Friday 1 April. A Daesh truck armed with an anti-aircraft gun was successfully bombed north-east of Ramadi and Paveways were used to destroy a fuel tanker converted into a truck bomb near Hit and a bunker west of Fallujah where terrorists had been spotted. In northern Iraq, a Tornado patrol employed Paveway IVs to destroy three Daesh buildings in the Mosul and Sinjar areas.

Le 1er avril 2016 au matin, 4 Mirage 2000D ont participé à un raid conjoint d’une dizaine d’aéronefs dans la vallée du Tigre au nord de Baïji. Au cours de cette mission, un dépôt d’armement de l’organisation terroriste a été détruit à proximité du secteur de Sharqat sur l’axe menant de Baiji à Mossoul.

On March 31, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted five strikes using attack and ground-attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and 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 Ayn Isa, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike destroyed two ISIL bulldozers.

* Near Mar’a, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions

Iraq

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

* Near Hit, three strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL VBIED, two ISIL VBIED factories, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL anti-air artillery staging area, and nine ISIL tunnel entrances and denied ISIL access to terrain.

* Near Kirkuk, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas.

* Near Mosul, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas and five ISIL vehicles.

* Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle and an ISIL mortar firing position and suppressed two separate ISIL mortar firing positions.

* Near Ramadi, one strike destroyed two ISIL VBIEDs.

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

* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed three ISIL tunnel systems and three ISIL assembly areas.

Thursday 31 March – Tornados struck a terrorist observation post in western Iraq with a Brimstone missile…On Thursday 31 March, RAF Tornado GR4s – supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker like the Typhoons – provided close air support to Iraqi security forces as they advanced near the city of Hit. A terrorist observation post was identified and the Tornado flight scored a direct hit with a Brimstone missile.

Point de situation des opérations du 31 mars 2016

LEVANT : CHAMMAL

Cette semaine, les opérations aériennes de la force Chammal se sont concentrées sur l’appui des forces locales engagées dans des opérations de reconquête dans les vallées du Tigre et de l’Euphrate.

En Irak : sous la pression de la coalition, Daech reste dans une logique défensive.

Au Nord, les forces irakiennes poursuivent leur progression le long du Tigre, en particulier dans les régions de Kirkuk et Salah ad Din. Elles concentrent leurs efforts sur la ville de Qayyarah. Daech défend âprement cette région qui constitue pour le groupe terroriste un véritable « verrou » commandant les accès de Mossoul.

Au Sud, les forces Irakiennes poursuivent leurs opérations dans la vallée de l’Anbar en faisant effort sur la ville de Hit.

En Syrie :pour les forces de Daech, la semaine a été marquée par la perte très symbolique de la ville de Palmyre. Ce revers est d’autant plus fort qu’il a y quelques mois, la conquête de cette ville par l’organisation terroriste avait contribué à alimenter sa propagande.

Efforts de la coalition en Irak

A l’ouest, dans la région de l’Anbar, la Coalition appuie la progression des forces irakiennes en concentrant ses frappes aériennes dans les secteurs de la ville de Hit et de Falloujah.

Sur le front Nord, la coalition axe son effort sur la région de Mossoul.

Depuis le 23 mars 2016, la force Chammal a réalisé 36 sorties au-dessus de l’Irak et de la Syrie, dont 32 de bombardement et 4 de recueil de renseignement. Au total 11 frappes ont permis de détruire 12 objectifs de Daesh.

On March 30, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes using attack and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 25 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and 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, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Mar’a, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL defensive fighting positions.

Iraq

* Near Habbaniyah, one strike damaged an ISIL defensive fighting position.

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

* Near Hit, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL safe house and destroyed two ISIL supply caches, 15 ISIL rockets, three ISIL bunkers, and an ISIL tunnel.

* Near Kirkuk, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL bed down location.

* Near Mosul, eight strikes [1 British] struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL bed down location, two ISIL safe houses, an ISIL fighting position, and suppressed two ISIL mortar firing positions.

* Near Qayyarah, four strikes struck an ISIL improvised explosive device (IED) factory and an ISIL communications facility and destroyed an ISIL mortar position and denied ISIL access to terrain.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, four strikes destroyed four ISIL assembly areas, five ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL tunnel system, and an ISIL improvised ferry system.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike struck an ISIL communications facility.

Wednesday 30 March – Typhoons destroyed Daesh-held buildings and a rocket stockpile in northern and western Iraq…On Wednesday 30 March, Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, flying from Akrotiri, used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a Daesh-held building and a stockpile of concealed rockets near Fallujah. In northern Iraq, near Mosul, a second Typhoon flight destroyed two more buildings used as bases by the terrorists.

On March 29, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted four strikes using ground-attack, attack, and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 20 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using 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 Mar’a, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed seven ISIL bunkers.

* Near Manbij, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL boat.

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

* Near Hit, three strikes [1 British] struck a large ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL safe house and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

* Near Mosul, five strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed six ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL weapons cache, and an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Qayyarah, two strikes [2 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL tunnels and an ISIL assembly area.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL fighting position and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Kirkuk, one strike destroyed two ISIL assembly areas.

* Near Kisik, one strike destroyed an ISIL assembly area.

* Near Makhmur, one strike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle.

* Near Sinjar, two strikes destroyed an ISIL assembly area and an ISIL fighting position.

Tuesday 29 March – Tornados and Typhoons hit multiple targets in western and northern Iraq, including five truck-bomb facilities and a tunnel complex…Operations over both northern and western Iraq continued on Tuesday 29 March. One Typhoon flight struck a reported Daesh storage building north-east of Mosul, while a second flight assisted Kurdish forces by bombing a mortar position near Quyyarah, then conducted attacks on terrorist installations nearby; one Typhoon was able to strike simultaneously four tunnel entrances, each with a Paveway, the second aircraft striking three truck-bomb facilities, again each with a Paveway. In Anbar province, two further truck-bomb workshops near Hit were successfully attacked by Tornados the same day.

Chammal – 11 frappes contre Daech en Irak cette semaine, 12 objectifs détruits

Du 23 au 29 mars 2016, la force Chammal a poursuivi ses opérations aériennes contre Daech en réalisant 36 sorties au-dessus de l’Irak et de la Syrie, dont 32 de bombardement et 4 de recueil de renseignement. Au total 11 frappes ont détruit 12 objectifs de Daech, la force Chammal ayant cette semaine concentré son effort dans des missions d’appui au profit des forces irakiennes engagées au sol, en particulier dans le Nord du pays.

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

La force Chammal a réalisé des missions d’appui au sol concentrées dans les environs de Mossoul et le long de l’Euphrate en appui de la progression des forces de sécurité intérieures.

On March 28, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted four strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Iraq

* Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL bed down location and an ISIL safe house.

* Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed two ISIL assembly areas and suppressed an ISIL machine gun position.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed three ISIL assembly areas.

Monday 28 March – Typhoons struck three terrorist-held buildings in northern Iraq…The Typhoons were again in action south of Sinjar on Monday 28 March, when they bombed two terrorist-held buildings, before flying to the area around Tall Afar where they struck a third Daesh position.

Het F-16-detachement vloog afgelopen week dagelijks missies boven Irak en Oost-Syrië ter ondersteuning van Operation Inherent Resolve. Een overzicht van Defensieoperaties in de week van 22 tot 28 maart 2016.

Midden-Oosten

Tijdens de Close Air Support-missies ondersteunden de F-16’s Iraakse en Peshmerga-grondtroepen. De Nederlandse F-16’s schakelden daarbij onder meer mortier- en artillerieopstellingen, gevechtslocaties en ISIS-strijders uit. Daardoor konden de grondtroepen verder met hun opmars tegen de terreurorganisatie. Tijdens enkele Air Interdiction-missies zetten de F-16’s met andere coalitiepartners hun precisiewapens in tegen onder meer hoofdkwartieren, munitieopslaglocaties en verzamelplaatsen van ISIS. Gevolg was dat de slagkracht van de vijand afnam. Tijdens het Paasweekeinde gingen de operaties zowel overdag als ’s nachts onverminderd door.

On March 27, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted four strikes using attack and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

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

* Near Manbij, one strike destroyed two ISIL bed down locations and two ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

* Near Mosul, four strikes struck an ISIL security headquarters and an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area and suppressed an ISIL mortar position and an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Qayyarah, three strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL mortar positions, an ISIL machine gun, and an ISIL supply cache and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Sinjar, one strike [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL assembly area.

Sunday 27 March – Typhoons provided close air support to Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, eliminating sniper and heavy machine-gun teams…RAF aircraft continued to provide close air support to the Kurdish forces on Sunday 27 March. Paveways from a Typhoon flight silenced both a sniper and a heavy machine-gun team who were engaged in combat with Kurdish troops near Qayyarah, and a further Paveway accounted for a second heavy machine-gun team that opened fire on the peshmerga south of Sinjar.

On March 26, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes using attack and ground-attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 19 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using 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 Manbij, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Mar’a, one strike destroyed six ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, three strikes struck an ISIL staging facility.

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

* Near Kisik, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Mosul, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position, an ISIL anti-air artillery piece and two ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL mortar position and two ISIL tactical units.

* Near Qayyarah, three strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL security headquarters and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Sinjar, two strikes suppressed an ISIL rocket firing position and an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL assembly areas and suppressed two ISIL mortar positions, an ISIL surface to air firing position, and an ISIL tactical unit.

On March 25, 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 22 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and ground-attack, 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 Ayn Isa, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

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

Iraq

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

* Near Hit, five strikes struck an ISIL improvised weapons factory, an ISIL communications facility, an ISIL weapons storage facility and two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL fighting position.

* Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed an ISIL artillery piece and suppressed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Mosul, four strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL supply caches and three ISIL assembly areas and suppressed two ISIL mortar positions.

* Near Qayyarah, six strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL mortar positions, an ISIL artillery piece, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL vehicle, and five ISIL assembly areas and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

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

* Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and denied ISIL access to terrain.

Friday 25 March – Typhoons attacked five terrorist positions near Mosul…Typhoons caught extremists mustering near Mosul on Friday 25 March, and struck five positions with Paveway IVs.

On March 24, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes using attack aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

* Near Al Hawl, one strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.

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

Iraq

* Near Habbaniyah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL tunnel entrances.

* Near Haditha, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL staging areas.

* Near Hit, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL rocket rail.

* Near Mosul, one strike destroyed two ISIL assembly areas.

* Near Qayyarah, two strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL mortar positions, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL fighting position, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar position and two ISIL assembly areas and denied ISIL access to terrain.

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

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

Thursday 24 March – Tornados destroyed a mortar team that was firing on Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, while a Reaper destroyed a vehicle in eastern Syria…The following day [Thursday 24 March], Tornados were again active over Qayyarah; working in close cooperation with a coalition surveillance aircraft, they were able to successfully engage with a Paveway a Daesh mortar team that had opened fire on Kurdish forces. Across the border in eastern Syria, a Reaper used a Hellfire missile in a successful attack on a Daesh vehicle.

LEVANT : CHAMMAL

Au Levant, les opérations coordonnées des forces locales et de la coalition ont entrainé un recul de Daech sur tous les fronts—à la fois en Irak et en Syrie. Daech est sous la pression des forces irakiennes qu’il cherche à ralentir par des actions de harcèlement.

En Irak : confrontée aux actions de la coalition, l’organisation terroriste adopte une posture défensive, en particulier dans la région de Mossoul.

Plus au Sud, elle tente des attaques contre des sites pétroliers dans la région de Baiji, attaques repoussées par les forces irakiennes.

Dans la vallée de l’Euphrate, Daech recule devant la progression des forces irakiennes entre Hit et Falloujah.

En Syrie : depuis plusieurs semaines, les terroristes perdent du terrain sur les différents fronts. La coalition OIR rapporte ainsi que les forces locales ont libéré Tishreen, Kobane et Tal Abyad. Dans le Nord Est du pays, elles continuent de progresser dans la province d’Hasakah où elles ont repris la ville de Shaddadi et avancent vers la ville de Raqqah.

Efforts de la coalition en Irak

Dans l’Anbar, entre Hit et Haditah, la coalition appuie la progression des forces irakiennes en réduisant les capacités des combattants terroristes. Son action vise également à appuyer les forces au sol pour conserver les territoires libérés et les villes reconquises (comme Ramadi).

Sur le front Nord, la coalition tient Daech sous pression avec un double objectif : affaiblir le système défensif autour de Mossoul et couper les lignes de ravitaillement des terroristes.

Certains chiffres (sources OIR) permettent d’illustrer les effets produits sur le terrain par les opérations de la coalition : près de 7 000 positions de tir, 6 000 bâtiments, 500 véhicules et 1 300 sites de production de pétrole ont été détruits en Irak et en Syrie depuis 2014. Au total, 22 779 objectifs de Daech détruits.

Chammal : destruction de deux centres de commandement terroristes en Irak

L’action de la France s’inscrit dans l’effort de la coalition à travers l’engagement des chasseurs de l’armée de l’air dans les missions de bombardement et de recueil de renseignements, mais aussi à travers la poursuite du programme de formation des forces irakiennes.

Depuis le 16 mars 2016, la force Chammal a réalisé 73 sorties aériennes au-dessus de l’Irak et de la Syrie, dont 65 de bombardement et 8 de recueil de renseignements. Au total, 15 frappes ont permis de détruire 19 objectifs de Daech. La semaine a été marquée par 2 opérations planifiées de bombardement conduites en coalition. Elles ont abouti à la destruction de 2 centres de commandement en Irak, à Hit et Mossoul. Ces frappes affaiblissent les capacités militaires des terroristes. En parallèle les chasseurs français poursuivent leur mission d’appui des forces irakiennes. Ils ont été particulièrement engagés le 21 mars, dans la région de Hit, en menant en quelques heures 5 frappes en appui des troupes engagées au sol.