US and Coalition Airstrikes against ISIS in Mosul Reach Record Level
Arthur Dominic Villasanta | | Dec 22, 2016 07:59 AM EST |
(Photo : Ministry of Defense) ISIS truck bomb in Mosul destroyed by British fighter.
U.S. Air Force and coalition air strikes against ISIS or ISIL in support of the Mosul offensive have set a record in number of bombs and missiles dropped against the murderous militants since the attack began Oct. 17.
U.S. Air Forces Central Command, which is in charge of the air campaign in support of the Iraqi Army and allied forces, announced airstrikes have reached their highest number this year.
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It said the coalition released 3,038 weapons in October and 2,709 in November. Those 5,747 weapons dropped or fired at ISIS represent the coalition's busiest two-month period against ISIS in 2016.
The Iraqi Army and its coalition partners, including the Kurdish Peshmerga, launched the offensive to retake Mosul from ISIS on Oct. 17. The offensive went well at first but ran into suicidal ISIS resistance inside the city.
THE coalition has lost more men than ISIS but enjoy such a huge numerical superiority that attrition will eventually win the battle for the, barring any massive collapse in morale.
"One week into #Mosul operation, all objectives met thus far, and more coalition airstrikes than any other 7-day period of war against #ISIL," tweeted Brett McGurk, President Obama's counter-ISIS envoy in late October.
Central Command reported the coalition's busiest single month this year was in June when it unleashed 3,160 weapons. And the 2,718 weapons released in January were slightly higher than its November tally. But there were no two months combined in which the coalition was busier than in October and November.
In November, the coalition released 27,800 weapons as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. Central Command says it's on track to top the 28,696 weapons released in 2015.
Iraq reported that over 2,000 ISIS militants have been killed by the Iraqi Army, Iraqi joint forces and popular Iraqi militias assisted by U.S. and coalition aircraft since the attack to re-take the ISIS held city of Mosul began until mid-November.
Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces in November launched Operation Euphrates Rage to retake Raqqa, the capital of the so-called ISIS caliphate, also supported by coalition airstrikes.
TagsMosul, Mosul offensive, Iraq, Iraqi Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Air Forces Central Command
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