DoD Says Operations Against ISIL Costing Average of $11.4M Per Day
(CNSNews.com) – A special report [1]posted on the Department of Defense website presenting about the ongoing fight against the "ISIL" terrorist group in Iraq and Syria says that the operations have cost an average of $11.4 million per day since they started in August 2014.
“As of February 29, 2016, the total cost of operations related to ISIL since kinetic operations started on August 8, 2014, is $6.5 billion and the average daily cost is $11.4 million for 571 days of operations,” said the report.
The report, “Operation Inherent Resolve: Targeted Operations Against ISIL Terrorists [1],” also shows that the United States and coalition countries “as of 3:59 p.m. EST Mar. 29,” have conducted 11,230 air strikes on targets and “as of Mar. 28,” U.S and coalition countries “have flown an estimated 87,940 sorties in support of operations in Iraq and Syria.
The U.S. alone has conducted 8,584 air strikes since operations began – 5,137 in Iraq and 3,447 in Syria. The remaining coalition has conducted 2,646 air strikes -- 2,419 in Iraq and 227 in Syria.
The report also notes targets damaged or destroyed “as of March 17, 2016” – 139 tanks; 374 HMMWVs; 1,162 staging areas, 5,894 buildings; 7,118 fighting positions; 1,272 oil infrastructure; and 6,820 “other targets,” for a total of 22,779.
The countries taking part in the operations in Iraq, according to the report, include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, Netherlands and the U.K. In Syria, coalition members include Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE.
The report also has an interactive map that visitors can click on to see updated information about Operation Inherent Resolve. For example, a click on Syria shows an update for military action on April 3, 2016:
“In Syria, coalition military forces conducted four strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Near Manbij, two strikes destroyed an ISIL rocket rail system and two ISIL fighting positions. Near Mar’a, two strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).”
A click on Iraq shows for the same date:
“In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 22 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Near Fallujah, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit. Near Haditha, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun. Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL used-bridge, an ISIL VBIED factory, 22 ISIL boats, and an ISIL bed down location and denied ISIL access to terrain.
“Near Kirkuk, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL VBIED, and an ISIL vehicle. Near Mosul, six strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL machine gun, and two ISIL vehicles.
“Near Qayyarah, six strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL weapons storage facility and destroyed four ISIL mortar firing positions, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL VBIED production facility, and 13 ISIL staging areas. Near Rawah, one strike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle. Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL vehicle. Near Tal Afar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar system.”
The introduction to the report describes the U.S. role in the ongoing operation this way: “The president has authorized U.S. Central Command to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes [sic] of Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.”
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http://cnsnews.com/news/article/penny-starr/dod-special-report-fighting-islamic-terrorists-iraqsyria-65-billion-571-0 
