SOUTHWEST ASIA –
In coordination with the Government of Iraq, Coalition aircraft destroyed three ISIS camps in Wadi al-Shai, Iraq, June 19.
Wadi al-Shai is a rural area in Kirkuk Province and a known hiding place for ISIS terrorists. The camps were in densely-vegetated austere terrain, approximately 16 miles west of Tuz Khurmatu, Iraq.
Since the Iraqi Security Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces destroyed Daesh’s last physical territory in March 2019, terrorist holdouts operate from rural locations. Iraqi citizens liberated from formerly ISIS-held areas reject the presence of terrorists; driving ISIS into the desert and mountains.
“The Iraqi Security Forces have tactical overmatch against ISIS; airstrikes help destroy ISIS targets in terrain difficult to reach by standard vehicles,” said Col. Myles B. Caggins III, Coalition military spokesman. “Blowing up ISIS hideouts in bucolic locations ultimately results in security in cities and villages. Each Coalition precision airstrike is conducted at the request of the Government of Iraq to help achieve a permanent defeat of Daesh.”
Iraqis with information about ISIS are encouraged to contact local security officials.
ISIS leaders and operatives continue to hide, because they have seen several high and mid-level Daesh officials neutralized and their safe-havens destroyed in recent weeks. The Coalition and our partners will continue to maintain relentless pressure on the terrorist organization. In addition to military operations, the Coalition has significantly disrupted and degraded ISIS propaganda operations, finance, and human trafficking networks.
Strike video available at:
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Arabic version of this release here.