On Feb. 29, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 15 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 Al Hasakah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed five ISIL buildings.

* Near Al Hawl, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL vehicles and two ISIL buildings.

* Near Ayn Isa, three strikes destroyed an ISIL building, an ISIL vehicle, and an ISIL mortar system.

* Near Manbij, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) and an ISIL mortar system.

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

Iraq

* Near Fallujah, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL anti-air artillery piece, an ISIL building, an ISIL bunker, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL staging area, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

* Near Habbaniyah, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Mosul, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL fighting position, and damaged a separate ISIL vehicle.

* Near Ramadi, three strikes destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle, two ISIL tunnel systems, and two ISIL VBIEDs.

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

* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Tikrit, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle and two ISIL mortar positions.

Midden-Oosten

In het Midden-Oosten voerden Nederlandse F-16’s boven Irak en Oost-Syrië ongeveer 10 missies uit. 3 daarvan waren Air Interdictiemissies waarbij in coalitieverband werd gevlogen onder Nederlandse leiding. Bij de andere missies ging het om Close Air Support waarbij wapens zijn ingezet tegen gevechtsposities, militaire middelen en strategische doelen, zoals een wapenfabriek en een wapenopslagplaats van terreurorganisatie ISIS.

In Irak slaagden 84 cursisten voor de opleiding train-the-trainer, die wordt gegeven door Nederlandse instructeurs en militairen van coalitielanden. Koerdische strijders leren daarbij zelf collega’s te trainen.

On Feb. 28, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes using ground-attack, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted 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 remote 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 gas and oil separation plant.

* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike struck an ISIL gas and oil separation plant.

* Near Ayn Isa, three strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed eight ISIL buildings, an ISIL fuel tanker, an ISIL tactical vehicle, and seven ISIL vehicles.

* Near Mar’a, three strikes destroyed four ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Tal Abyad, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL buildings, an ISIL vehicle, and suppressed an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

* Near Fallujah, one strike destroyed an ISIL front end loader and an ISIL tunnel system.

* Near Kisik, one strike suppressed an ISIL rocket fire position.

* Near Mosul, one strike struck an ISIL VBIED factory.

* Near Ramadi, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL fighting position, two ISIL staging areas, and two ISIL petroleum, oil, and lubricant trucks.

* Near Sinjar, three strikes [1 British] destroyed six ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL mortar position and an ISIL sniper position.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

Sunday 28 February – Tornados and Typhoons conducted three attacks in northern Iraq against mortar and sniper teams; a Reaper conducted five attacks in northern Syria…Typhoons and Tornados were active again over northern Iraq on Sunday 28 February: a Typhoon flight struck two mortar positions with Paveways and Tornados also used a Paveway IV to demolish a large isolated building from which a terrorist sniper was engaging Kurdish forces south of Sinjar. Across the border in northern Syria, an RAF Reaper conducted five attacks with Hellfire missiles and a GBU-12 guided bomb against Daesh extremists, including an armed team in a truck, near Tell Dehlis.

On Feb. 27, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes using ground-attack, attack, and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using fighter 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 improvised weapons assembly area.

* Near Manbij, one strike destroyed two ISIL buildings.

* Near Tal Abyad, 10 strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 23 ISIL buildings, and suppressed two ISIL tactical units, an ISIL mortar position, eight ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL heavy machine gun position, and an ISIL rocket fire position.

Iraq

* Near Fallujah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL staging area, and two rocket rails.

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

* Near Makhmur, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

* Near Mosul, five strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL rocket rails, and suppressed an ISIL rocket fire position.

* Near Qayyarah, one strike struck an ISIL financial distribution center.

* Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL building, an ISIL fighting position, and two ISIL vehicles.

* Near Sinjar, one strike suppressed an ISIL rocket fire position and an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

On Feb. 26, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes using ground-attack, attack, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 14 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 Tal Abyad, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL building.

* Near Al Hawl, five strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL buildings and an ISIL vehicle born improvised explosive device (VBIED).

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

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

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, two strikes destroyed an ISIL front end loader, and an ISIL VBIED.

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

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

* Near Kisik, one strike [1 British] suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Mosul, seven strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas, five ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL VBIED facility, and an ISIL weapons storage facility and suppressed an ISIL mortar position and two ISIL rocket fire positions.

* Near Qayyarah, one strike produced inconclusive results.

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

Friday 26 February – Tornados and Typhoons conducted three attacks in northern Iraq against Daesh mortar and rocket teams, and a checkpoint…On Friday 26 February, Tornados and Typhoons flew missions over northern Iraq. Typhoons bombed a Daesh mortar team that was firing on Kurdish troops near Kisik, while a pair of Tornados used a Brimstone missile to attack a checkpoint east of Bayji. They then headed north to the Mosul area where they used a Paveway against a rocket-launcher position.

On Feb. 25, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes using ground-attack, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 16 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 Abu Kamal, two strikes struck an ISIL petroleum, oil, and lubricant separation vessel and an ISIL gas and oil separation plant and crude oil collection point.

* Near Al Hawl, eight strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed six ISIL vehicles, an ISIL staging area, an ISIL tactical vehicle, and an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Ar Raqqah, two strikes [1 French] struck an ISIL staging area and an ISIL weapons storage area.

* Near Al Hasakah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL building.

Iraq

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

* Near Hit, one strike destroyed an ISIL oil tanker.

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

* Near Kisik, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL light machine gun, and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Mosul, one strike [1 British] destroyed five ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Ramadi, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL artillery system, an ISIL staging area, two ISIL supply caches, and damaged an ISIL staging area.

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

* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

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

* Near Fallujah, one strike [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL bunkers.

Thursday 25 February – Tornados and Typhoons conducted five attacks in Iraq and Syria, silencing mortar and machine-gun positions, and destroying bunkers…The following day [Thursday 25 February], Typhoon FGR4s patrolled the area north-west of Mosul, and assisted Kurdish peshmerga forces who had come under fire from a terrorist mortar position, destroying it with a Paveway IV guided bomb. A second Typhoon mission, near Tall Afar, used a Paveway to eliminate a machine-gun team that was also firing on Iraqi forces. Further south, Tornados operated near Fallujah, where they delivered two successful Paveway attacks on two groups of terrorists entrenched in a network of bunkers. In eastern Syria, a Tornado patrol supported Syrian Democratic Forces as they mounted an offensive against Daesh near As Shadadi; our aircraft destroyed a terrorist mortar position with a Paveway IV.

Proche et Moyen-Orient : Chammal

Daech demeure sur une posture défensive.

Situation tactique : Irak/Syrie

En Irak, en dépit d’actions ponctuelles de harcèlement contre les forces irakiennes, Daech reste sur la défensive. Les forces locales portent leur effort sur la vallée de l’Euphrate.

En Syrie, Daech est sous pression.

Chammal: effort sur Mossoul et la vallée de l’Euphrate

Les forces françaises ont poursuivi cette semaine leur effort d’appui au sol en Irak.

Depuis le 17 février 2016, les équipages français ont réalisé 44 sorties aériennes au-dessus des zones contrôlées par Daech en Irak, dont 40 sorties de bombardement sur des objectifs planifiés ou d’opportunité, et 4 de recueil de renseignement. 8 frappes ont conduit à la destruction de 10 objectifs de Daech.

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

La force Chammal a concentré ses efforts sur les missions d’appui au sol dans les secteurs de Ramadi et de Mossoul. À Ramadi, les forces irakiennes poursuivent leurs opérations de contrôle autour de la ville, où les combattants de Daech mènent des actions de harcèlement. À Mossoul, les actions de la coalition visent à affaiblir les capacités d’action de Daech.

• 1 frappe planifiée a été menée en Irak :

Le 20 février, intégrée dans un raid de la coalition, 1 patrouille de 3 Mirage 2000D a détruit un site de stockage d’armement et de munitions de Daech dans la région de Mossoul.

Composante aérienne : 2 chasseurs supplémentaires.

Le 19 février, 2 Mirage 2000 D sont arrivés en renfort de l’opération Chammal sur la base aérienne projetée en Jordanie. Le nombre d’avions de combat présents sur cette base a ainsi été porté de 6 à 8.

Les équipages ont immédiatement été engagés dans les missions de frappe contre Daech.

Actuellement, 14 avions de chasse (8 Mirage 2000 et 6 Rafale) participent en Irak et en Syrie aux actions aériennes de la Coalition contre Daech.

11eBP : relève et premières instructions au profit des forces irakiennes

Déployée à Bagdad, la composante formation et conseil a achevé ses opérations de relève. La 3ebrigade légère blindée (3e BLB) ainsi que la 13edemi brigade de légion étrangère (13eDBLE) ont terminé leur mandat. Les missions de formation ont été reprises par la 11ebrigade parachutiste (11eBP).

TF 50 : le Charles de Gaulle fait route vers la Méditerranée.

Le 22 février 2016, le groupe aéronaval (GAN) a franchi le détroit d’Ormuz, quittant le golfe arabo-persique (GAP) après 2 mois de mission.

L’engagement du GAN dans le GAP au sein de la TF 50 a permis d’apporter une capacité supplémentaire d’action à la coalition, totalement interopérable avec nos alliés américains. Au cours des derniers jours, le GAN a d’ailleurs conduit des « dual carrier operations », c’est-à-dire des opérations combinant les moyens des deux groupes aéronavals français et américain.

En près de deux mois, depuis leur entrée dans le GAP le 19 décembre 2015, les équipages du GAN ont mené près de 400 sorties aériennes opérationnelles. Intégrés dans le dispositif Chammal au sein de la coalition, ils ont travaillé de concert avec les équipages de l’armée de l’air qui décollent à partir des bases stationnées en Jordanie et dans le GAP.

Les aéronefs du GAN ont conduit 80 frappes contre Daech et réalisé 23 missions ISR (missions de renseignement ou « intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance ») au-dessus des positions tenues par Daech en Irak et en Syrie.

Le groupe aéronaval fait désormais route vers la Méditerranée.

Le 25 février 2016 en début de soirée, les équipages français de l’opération Chammal ont participé à un raid conjoint de la coalition au-dessus des zones contrôlées par Daech en Syrie. Ce raid visait un objectif situé dans la ville de Raqqah, fief de l’organisation terroriste en Syrie.

Décollant depuis la base aérienne projetée (BAP) en Jordanie, une patrouille de trois Mirage 2000D a été engagée dans cette action. Conjointement avec la coalition, les équipages français ont frappé et détruit un dépôt d’armement de l’organisation terroriste.

Il s’agit d’une action planifiée contre un objectif d’importance ayant fait l’objet, en amont, d’un effort de renseignement de la part de la France et de la Coalition.

Depuis le 27 septembre 2015, date de sa première frappe sur les zones contrôlées par Daech en Syrie, la France conduit ou participe à des raids sur des objectifs à haute valeur ajoutée : camps d’entraînement, centres de commandement, dépôts logistiques ou infrastructures pétrolières contribuant directement à l’effort de guerre de l’organisation terroriste.

La BAP, d’où ont décollé les chasseurs français, a été renforcée le 19 février 2016 par l’arrivée de 2 Mirage 2000 D supplémentaires. Le nombre des avions de combat présents sur cette base est donc passé de 6 à 8.

Actuellement, 14 avions de chasse de l’armée de l’air française (8 Mirage 2000 et 6 Rafale) participent en Irak et en Syrie aux actions aériennes de la Coalition contre Daech.

On Feb. 24, 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 15 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 Abu Kamal, two strikes struck an ISIL modular refinery and an ISIL gas and oil separation plant.

* Near Al Hawl, five strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed seven ISIL buildings and an ISIL fighting position.

Iraq

* Near Al Qaim, one strike struck an ISIL improvised explosive device (IED) production and storage facility.

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

* Near Hit, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

* Near Kisik, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL light machine gun and an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Mosul, nine strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units, an ISIL improvised weapons factory, an ISIL IED factory, an ISIL mortar factory, and an ISIL VBIED facility and destroyed seven ISIL fighting positions, and ISIL vehicle, an ISIL light machine gun, and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike suppressed an ISIL rocket position.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike suppressed an ISIL light machine gun position.

Wednesday 24 February – Tornados destroyed a terrorist weapons factory in Mosul…RAF Tornado GR4s, supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, successfully bombed a Daesh weapons factory in Mosul on Wednesday 24 February.

On Feb. 23, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes using ground-attack, attack, and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted four strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using fighter aircraft against ISIL targets.The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

* Near Al Hasakah, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL buildings, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL fighting position, and suppressed a separate ISIL mortar system.

* Near Al Hawl, seven strikes destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL building, two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL vehicles, and suppressed an ISIL mortar system and an ISIL heavy machine gun and cratered two ISIL-used roads.

* Near Ayn Isa, one strike suppressed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) and an ISIL anti-air artillery piece.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes struck an ISIL gas and oil separation plant and denied ISIL access to terrain.

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

Iraq

* Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL excavator.

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

* Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed two ISIL weapons caches and five ISIL assembly areas.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed seven ISIL fighting positions.

On Feb. 22, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes using ground-attack, attack, and fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 15 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

* Near Al Hasakah, five strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed six ISIL buildings and suppressed two ISIL sniper positions and two ISIL fighting positions and damaged an ISIL building.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes struck six ISIL gas and oil separation plant wellheads.

* Near Manbij, one strike destroyed two ISIL buildings.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL supply cache and an ISIL staging area.

* Near Kisik, seven strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, three ISIL staging areas, an ISIL headquarters, an ISIL bed down location, and suppressed an ISIL rocket position.

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

* Near Mosul, two strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

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

* Near Sinjar, one strike suppressed an ISIL light machine gun position.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike suppressed an ISIL light machine gun position.

A Typhoon flight patrolled east of Mosul on Monday 22 February, and was able to identify a Daesh team that was planting improvised explosive devices, they hit with a Paveway.

De Koerdische strijders [later changed to Iraakse special forces] hebben er sinds afgelopen week 28 scherpschutters bij. Nederlandse militairen leidden hen samen met collega’s van coalitielanden op in Irak. Zo kunnen de Peshmerga terreurorganisatie ISIS op de grond bestrijden. Een overzicht van Defensieoperaties in de week van 15 tot 22 februari 2016.
In Bagdad zijn de Nederlanders niet alleen betrokken bij de opleiding tot scherpschutter, maar ook bij die tot commando. Elders in Irak startte een train the trainer course, waarbij Iraakse militairen leren om zelf collega’s trainen.

Midden-Oosten

Nederlandse F-16’s voerden ongeveer 10 missies uit boven Irak en Oost-Syrië. Daarbij zetten zij wapens in tegen gevechtsposities, militaire middelen en strategische doelen van ISIS.
Het commando over de Air Task Force Middle East is in handen van een nieuwe detachementscommandant. De 6e lichting is sinds januari 2016 actief in de strijd tegen terreurorganisatie ISIS. Nederlandse jachtvliegers vliegen sinds 5 oktober 2014.

On Feb. 21, 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 five strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using fighter aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

* Near Al Hasakah, seven strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, four ISIL buildings, four ISIL vehicles, and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL heavy machine gun.

* Near Al Hawl, two strikes destroyed two ISIL-used bridges.

* Near Ayn Isa, two strikes destroyed three ISIL buildings and two ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL fighting position.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes struck three ISIL-used logistics routes.

Iraq

* Near Fallujah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and suppressed an ISIL fighting position.

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

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

* Near Sinjar, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

On Feb. 20, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 18 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 fighter, 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 Al Hasakah, nine strikes struck eight separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, six ISIL buildings, and an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Al Hawl, five strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and two ISIL structures.

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

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed an ISIL culvert bridge and two ISIL-used logistics routes.

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

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL supply caches, an ISIL mortar system, 16 ISIL rocket rails, an ISIL weapons cache, and an ISIL vehicle.

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

* Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL weapons production facility and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Mosul, 10 strikes [1 French] struck an ISIL tactical unit, an ISIL logistical facility, an ISIL fuel storage location, an ISIL mortar booster factory, an ISIL explosive factory, and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) factory and destroyed nine ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL fighting position, two ISIL command and control nodes, and suppressed an ISIL mortar position and an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

* Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle and destroyed an ISIL assembly area.

* Near Ramadi, one strike [1 British] destroyed an ISIL vehicle and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL rocket position.

The following day [Saturday 20 February] saw RAF Reapers in action over both Syria and Iraq again. North-west of Raqqa, a Reaper tracked a Daesh machine-gun team that had been firing on Syrian opposition fighters. The terrorists retreated to a small building, where they were joined by other extremists. The Reaper then successfully attacked the group with a Hellfire missile. In Iraq, again north-east of Ramadi, another Reaper worked closely with another coalition remotely piloted aircraft to provide close air support to the Iraqi ground forces. The Reaper assisted its coalition partner in an attack, then conducted two attacks with its own Hellfires on two Daesh groups engaged in close combat with the Iraqi troops.

On Feb. 19, 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 16 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using fighter, attack, 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 Al Hasakah, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

* Near Ayn Isa, one strike destroyed an ISIL armored front end loader.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike struck an ISIL main gas and oil separation plant.

* Near Manbij, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL anti-air artillery piece and three ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed an ISIL weapons cache and three ISIL rocket systems.

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

* Near Albu Hayat, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

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

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

* Near Hit, one strike destroyed an ISIL tunnel entrance.

* Near Mosul, four strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions, four ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL petroleum, oil, and lubricants site, and two ISIL command and control nodes.

* Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed four ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Ramadi, three strikes [2 British] struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL anti-air artillery piece, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) facility, five ISIL staging areas, and an ISIL bed down location.

* Near Tal Afar, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL tunnel system.

On Friday 19 February, Typhoon FGR4s and Tornados patrolled over western Iraq. North-east of Ramadi, an Iraqi helicopter reported coming under fire from an anti-aircraft gun concealed beneath a carport. A Paveway IV delivered by a Typhoon removed the threat. The Typhoons then dropped two Paveways on a large building where a group of terrorists, armed with rocket-propelled grenades, were holding out against the advancing Iraqi troops.

North-east of Al Asad airbase, a coalition surveillance aircraft identified a set of five rocket launchers and an ammunition stockpile set up in a palm grove, and was able to guide in a Tornado flight which destroyed both targets with Paveways, then used a third Paveway to eliminate a group of terrorists caught in the open. Later in the day, a second Tornado patrol used Paveways to destroy four Daesh-held buildings north-east of Ramadi, including two used to prepare truck-bombs. In northern Iraq, a Typhoon mission operated north-east of Mosul, supporting the Kurdish peshmerga, and destroyed two buildings from which the terrorists had been fighting.

Over Syria, a Reaper and other coalition aircraft supported moderate Syrian opposition forces north-west of Raqqa; our Reaper assisted in one coalition air strike, then used a Hellfire to destroy an Daesh improvised armoured vehicle.

On Feb. 18, 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 13 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and fighter, 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] destroyed an ISIL workover rig.

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

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

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

* Near Manbij, two strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

Iraq

* Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed eight ISIL rocket rails.

* Near Albu Hayat, one strike destroyed 13 ISIL rocket rails.

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

* Near Mosul, four strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL weapons storage facility and destroyed 12 ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL excavator, and an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Ramadi, four strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL staging areas.

* Near Sinjar, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and suppressed an ISIL rocket position.

RAF Tornado GR4s and a Reaper remotely piloted aircraft conducted counter-Daesh missions over Syria on Thursday 18 February. North of Abu Kamal, a Tornado patrol used a pair of Brimstone missiles to strike a large engineering vehicle being used for wellhead repair and maintenance in a Daesh-controlled oilfield.

Meanwhile, north-west of Raqqa, a Reaper worked closely with coalition jets to prosecute a group of Daesh extremists who were attacking members of the moderate Syrian armed opposition. The Reaper provided targeting and surveillance support to three successful coalition air attacks, then conducted a fourth attack using its own Hellfire missile.

Over Iraq, other Tornados continued to support Iraqi army operations around Ramadi, in the course of which they used Paveway IVs to bomb three Daesh-held buildings.

On Feb. 17, 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 12 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using 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 Al Hasakah, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL building.

* Near Al Hawl, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL mortar position, three ISIL buildings, and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

Iraq

* Near Albu Hayat, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed nine ISIL rocket rails.

* Near Fallujah, one strike destroyed an inoperable piece of partner nation equipment, at the request of the Iraqi government, in order to prevent its capture by ISIL forces.

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

* Near Mosul, one strike produced inconclusive results.

* Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL VBIED.

* Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL recoilless rifle.

* Near Sinjar, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL light machine gun.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL vehicle and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

On Wednesday 17 February, a Tornado mission interrupted a Daesh team preparing to fire nine artillery rockets, hitting them with Paveway to impact the middle of the line of launch rails.

Proche et Moyen-Orient : Chammal

Situation tactique sur le théâtre Irak-Syrie

En Irak, malgré des actions de harcèlement conduites contre les Forces de sécurité irakiennes (FSI), Daech est contraint d’adopter une posture défensive et ne parvient pas à reprendre l’initiative.

Les forces irakiennes ont poursuivi leurs efforts de reconquête dans la vallée de l’Euphrate. Elles progressent en direction de la ville d’Haditah et elles ont commencé à encercler la ville de Falloujah.

Dans la vallée du Tigre, appuyé par les opérations aériennes de la Coalition, le dispositif FSI a permis de repousser les actions de harcèlement de Daech en particulier dans la région de Baïji et de Tikrit.

Rôle de la France : un double engagement dans la Coalition

Cette semaine, les soldats de l’opération Chammal ont maintenu leur niveau d’engagement dans les deux piliers de l’opération : activités aériennes et actions de formation des forces irakiennes. Bien qu’engageant un volume d’hommes inégaux, l’importance de chacun de ces volets est équivalente pour le succès de la stratégie au Levant.

La participation française au volet formation s’appuie sur deux groupes déployés dans la région de Bagdad : La TF Monsabert qui participe au programme de la coalition « advise and assist » et la TF Narvik qui participe à la formation des commandos irakiens de l’ICTS.

Chammal : 500 jours de déploiement opérationnel pour la Base aérienne projetée (BAP) en Jordanie

Le 6 octobre 2014, les Mirage 2000 de la BAP réalisaient leurs premiers vols de renseignement en Irak au profit de la coalition. Depuis, les chasseurs sont engagés de façon permanente contre Daech.

Le mercredi 17 février 2016, la BAP a dépassé les 500 jours d’engagement opérationnel. Durant cette période, les équipages déployés en Jordanie ont réalisé 1 600 sorties aériennes, 4 000 ravitaillements en vol et ils cumulent plus de 6 600 heures de vol.

Le dispositif aérien de l’opération Chammal évolue : la BAP va ainsi être renforcée d’ici la fin de la semaine par deux Mirage 2000 D en provenance de Niamey.

Bilan hebdomadaire des frappes

Depuis le 10 février 2016, 77 sorties ont été effectuées dont 10 sorties dédiées aux missions de reconnaissance, 4 aux missions de contrôle et de coordination des missions aériennes de la coalition (command and control), 7 au ravitaillement au profit des avions de la coalition et 56 aux missions de bombardement sur des objectifs planifiés ou d’opportunité.

Les différentes frappes conduites par les aéronefs français ont permis de détruire 17 objectifs tenus par Daech. Le 15 février, intégrée dans un raid de la coalition, une patrouille de Mirage 2000D a détruit un centre de stockage et de production d’engins explosifs improvisés tenu par Daech dans la région d’Al QA’IM.

Bilan de la composante aérienne de Chammal : 199 objectifs détruits en 2016

Depuis le 1er janvier 2016, les équipages de la force Chammal ont réalisé 531 sorties aériennes. Au total, ils ont mené 128 frappes et détruit 199 objectifs tenus par l’organisation terroriste au Levant. En Syrie, les chasseurs français ont frappé à cinq reprises détruisant 20 objectifs.

On Feb. 16, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes using attack, ground-attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 13 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using fighter, 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 Al Hasakah, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, four ISIL buildings, and an ISIL fighting position.

* Near Al Hawl, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL buildings and an ISIL vehicle.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes cratered an ISIL-used road.

Iraq

* Near Albu Hayat, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and an ISIL mortar system.

* Near Mosul, four strikes [1 British] struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL supply cache and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

* Near Ramadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL bed down locations, an ISIL command and control node, two ISIL-used bridges, and an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) facility.

* Near Sinjar, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL heavy machine gun.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes destroyed five ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL heavy machine gun.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike destroyed an ISIL tunnel.

The following day [Tuesday 16 February], Tornados patrolled over northern Iraq and came to the assistance of advancing Kurdish forces who were under fire from Daesh heavy machine-gun and mortar teams south-east of Mosul. Paveway attacks successfully dealt with the threat.

On Feb. 15, 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 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, six strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL headquarters, three ISIL weapons storage facilities, and an ISIL barracks.

. Near Al Hasakah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL building.

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

. Near Al Hawl, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL buildings and damaged a separate ISIL building.

Iraq

. Near Al Baghdadi, one strike destroyed seven ISIL rocket rails and an ISIL weapons cache.

. Near Al Qaim, nine strikes [1 French] struck an ISIL improvised explosive device (IED) facility, an ISIL logistics facility, an ISIL staging area, two ISIL internet cafés, two ISIL headquarters, and an ISIL media headquarters.

. Near Fallujah, one strike destroyed two ISIL vehicles, two ISIL heavy machine guns, and an ISIL bunker.

. Near Kirkuk, one strike [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL weapons cache, and three ISIL fighting positions.

. Near Mosul, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL bunker.

. Near Ramadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL front end loader.

. Near Sinjar, two strikes destroyed three ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

. Near Tal Afar, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL bunker.