ISIL LOOSES TERRITORY

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s reduced operating areas in Iraq and Syria as of April 2015. DoD photo.

ISIL Loses Control of Once-dominated Iraq Territory
By Terri Moon Cronk
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2015 – Some 25 percent to 30 percent of Iraqi territory has been taken back from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorist group control by coalition forces, Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters today.

Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, showed reporters a color-coded map of key populated sites in northern and central Iraq where ISIL was once the dominant force before Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve pushed the terrorists back.

Overall, he said, the map shows how “the combination of coalition air power and Iraqi ground forces are having an effect on the enemy’s ability to hold territory and to have freedom of maneuver,” he said.

“This equates to approximately 5,000 square miles to 6,000 square miles [of Iraq territory] since the peak of [ISIL] territorial influence in Iraq in August 2014,” Warren noted. “ISIL has lost large areas where it was once dominant.”

Essentially, he added, the ISIL front line has been pushed either west or south, depending on location, he said, in integral areas such as Erbil, Babil, Baghdad and the Kirkuk governances.

Coalition Maintains Pressure on ISIL

“Among other strategic infrastructure and sizeable towns where ISIL has lost territory are Mosul Dam, Zummar and the vicinity of Sinjar Mountain,” Warren said.

The corridor north of Tikrit has been “substantially retaken by friendly forces,” Warren said. With offensive pressure on ISIL, he said he expects Tikrit also will be cleared from ISIL “relatively soon.”

Beiji and a nearby oil refinery is still contested, and will continue to be the focus of airstrikes, he said.

While it is too early to say the tide of the battle is turning in Iraq, Iraqi security forces, along with coalition air power, “have unquestionably inflicted some damage on ISIL and have pushed ISIL back in a somewhat meaningful way,” Warren said.

DOD REPORTS ON AIRSTRIKES ON ISIL IN IRAQ, SYRIA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, which took place between 8 a.m. yesterday, and 8 a.m. today, local time, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

Fighter aircraft conducted three airstrikes near Kobani, which struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.
Airstrikes in Iraq

Fighter, attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 15 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:

-- Near Beiji, seven airstrikes struck one large and two smaller tactical units, two ISIL excavators, destroyed 11 ISIL buildings, four ISIL vehicles, two ISIL excavators, two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL warehouse, an ISIL vehicle bomb and an ISIL heavy machine gun.

-- Near Fallujah, three airstrikes destroyed two ISIL bridges and an ISIL checkpoint.

-- Near Mosul, an airstrike struck an ISIL headquarters.

-- Near Ramadi, three airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units, destroyed four ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL mortar system.

-- Near Sinjar, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroyed two ISIL buildings, and an ISIL rocket-propelled grenade.

All aircraft returned to base safely.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, 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 terror and conduct operations.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.