ABC News, 08 August 2016
Today marks the two-year anniversary of the first U.S. airstrikes against ISIS militants.
ISIS had captured the town of Sinjar in northern Iraq, after overrunning the cities of Mosul, Kirkuk, Baiji, and Tikrit to name a few. Tens of thousands of Yazidis who had fled the ISIS siege were trapped on Mount Sinjar, with nowhere to go.
Those first U.S. strikes were limited -- hitting only some ISIS units and convoys -- but they marked the launch of a broader U.S.-led campaign to eradicate ISIS from Iraq and Syria.
On this anniversary, ABC News looks at the airstrikes in the “War Against ISIS” by the numbers, based on updates from the Department of Defense and the Department of State.
Strikes by the U.S. and coalition partners
As of July 27, 2016, the U.S. and coalition partners have conducted more than 14,000 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. Nearly 11,000 of those strikes were from U.S. aircraft. The majority of the strikes -- more than 9,000 -- were in Iraq.
Targets damaged or destroyed
Of the 26,374 targets hit, nearly 8,000 were against ISIS fighting positions, while approximately 6,500 hit buildings. ISIS staging areas and oil infrastructure were each hit around 1,600 times.
Countries partnering with the U.S. in Iraq and Syria
Twelve countries have joined the U.S.-led coalition to counter ISIS. Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Jordan, and the United Kingdom participate on strikes in both Iraq and Syria. Belgium and Denmark are partners in Iraq. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates are partners in Syria.
Cost to U.S. taxpayers
As of July 15, 2016, the total cost of these airstrike operations was $8.4 billion, with an average daily cost of $11.9 million.
U.S. servicemen killed in action
As of August 5, 2016, three members of the U.S. military have been killed in combat fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Another 17 have died from non-hostile incidents while serving in what is known as Operation Inherent Resolve.
In June, Brett McGurk, the State Department’s Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, said the terror group had lost about 50 percent of the territory it controlled in Iraq.
ISIS fighters
McGurk also said State Department counts estimate that ISIS had roughly 19,000 to 25,000 fighters as of June, down from an estimated 31,000 in 2014.
No comments yet.
-
PARENTS OF SOLDIER KILLED IN IRAQ TO SPEAK AT MUSLIM CONVENTION IN ROSEMONT Iraq 09.08.2016
- PRESIDENT ALIYEV: AZERBAIJAN VALUES RUSSIA’S ROLE IN KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT The Caucasus and Turkish-Armenian Relations 09.08.2016
- IRAQ'S MOSUL RESIDENTS FEEL RELIEF, ANXIETY AS 'LIBERATION' NEARS Iraq 09.08.2016
- GERMAN EX-PAT POLITICIAN IN BRITAIN SAYS WHY SHE SUPPORTED BREXIT CAMPAIGN Europe - EU 09.08.2016
-
ISIS, TALIBAN CALL TRUCE TO FIGHT US-BACKED FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN - MILITARY OFFICIALS Asia - Pacific 09.08.2016
-
THE ARMENIAN QUESTION - BASIC KNOWLEDGE AND DOCUMENTATION -
THE TRUTH WILL OUT -
RADİKAL ERMENİ UNSURLARCA GERÇEKLEŞTİRİLEN MEZALİMLER VE VANDALİZM -
PATRIOTISM PERVERTED -
MEN ARE LIKE THAT -
BAKÜ-TİFLİS-CEYHAN BORU HATTININ YAŞANAN TARİHİ -
INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS ON THE EVENTS OF 1915 -
FAKE PHOTOS AND THE ARMENIAN PROPAGANDA -
ERMENİ PROPAGANDASI VE SAHTE RESİMLER -
A Letter From Japan - Strategically Mum: The Silence of the Armenians -
Japonya'dan Bir Mektup - Stratejik Suskunluk: Ermenilerin Sessizliği -
Anastas Mikoyan: Confessions of an Armenian Bolshevik -
Sovyet Sonrası Ukrayna’da Devlet, Toplum ve Siyaset - Değişen Dinamikler, Dönüşen Kimlikler -
Ermeni Sorunuyla İlgili İngiliz Belgeleri (1912-1923) - British Documents on Armenian Question (1912-1923) -
Turkish-Russian Academics: A Historical Study on the Caucasus -
Gürcistan'daki Müslüman Topluluklar: Azınlık Hakları, Kimlik, Siyaset -
Armenian Diaspora: Diaspora, State and the Imagination of the Republic of Armenia -
ERMENİ SORUNU - TEMEL BİLGİ VE BELGELER (2. BASKI)
-
CONFERENCE TITLED “HUNGARY’S PERSPECTIVES ON THE TURKIC WORLD"