US fighter jets bristle with bombs and rockets as they race to engage ISIL in Iraq over the Halloween weekend 2014.
I received the following email communication from the United States Central Command (US CENTCOM) regarding the war against ISIL.
US CENTCOM is responsible for U.S. security interests in 20 nations, stretching through the Arabian Gulf region into Central Asia.
USCENTCOM is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command of theU.S. Department of Defense, established in 1983. It was originally conceived of as the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF).
Its area of responsibility includes countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, most notably Afghanistan and Iraq. USCENTCOM (also called CENTCOM) has been the main American presence in many military operations, including the Persian Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan (2001–present), and the Iraq War. Forces from CENTCOM currently are deployed primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan in combat roles and have bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Pakistan, and central Asia in support roles.
It read as follows:
“Nov. 3, 2014 – U.S. and partner-nation military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, and U.S. Central Command officials have provided details of airstrikes conducted from Oct. 31 through today.
In Syria:
— Four airstrikes near Kobani struck an ISIL fighting position, a small ISIL unit and destroyed two buildings.
— An airstrike near Dayr Az Zawr damaged an ISIL building. Ten airstrikes near Kobani struck five small ISIL units, destroyed three ISIL vehicles, suppressed or destroyed nine ISIL fighting positions and struck one ISIL building.
— Southeast of Dayr Az Zawr, two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL tank and two vehicle shelters.
In Iraq:
— Two airstrikes near Bayji struck an ISIL fighting position, a small ISIL unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
— Near Fallujah, four airstrikes struck a large ISIL unit and destroyed five ISIL bulldozers and an ISIL dump truck involved in creating obstructions and berms.
— Three airstrikes near Rutbah damaged an ISIL vehicle and destroyed four ISIL vehicles.
— An airstrike near Bayji struck a small ISIL unit.
— Southeast of Fallujah, coalition aircraft struck a small ISIL unit.
— An airstrike southwest of the Mosul Dam destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
— Four airstrikes near Qaim, heavily damaged or destroyed four ISIL vehicles and struck four ISIL buildings.
All aircraft left the strike areas safely, officials said, noting that airstrike assessments are based on initial reports.
The strikes were conducted as part of Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the terrorist group ISIL and the threat they pose to Iraq, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group’s ability to project power and conduct operations, Centcom officials said.
Among the coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq are the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Bahrain.”