US forces carry out most strikes against IS
15 Nov TN
US forces have carried out the overwhelming majority of air strikes
against Islamic State militants since August, with American warplanes
conducting about 85 percent of the raids, the Pentagon said .
Arab coalition partners have carried out 56 out of 393 air strikes
over Syria, and Western allies have conducted about 70 out of more than
470 bombing raids in Iraq, Colonel Patrick Ryder, spokesman for US
Central Command, told.
President Barack Obama´s administration frequently touts the vital
role of coalition partners in the air war, particularly four Arab
states, but the numbers convey how the Americans are bearing most of the
burden of the campaign. Since launching air strikes on August 8 on IS in
Iraq, and later extending it to Syria on September 23, US forces and
allied aircraft have carried out roughly 9,020 flights, including
thousands of surveillance and refueling runs, according to the
military´s latest tally. The overwhelming majority of the intelligence
and refueling flights also have been conducted by US aircraft, defense
officials said. After more than 800 air strikes over about three months,
US and coalition aircraft have unloaded about 2,400 bombs and missiles,
defense officials said.
The air campaign has been designed to halt the advance of IS forces
while the United States and other countries arm and train Iraqi and
Kurdish troops to eventually retake lost territory.Independent
monitoring groups say the strikes have killed an unknown number of
civilians. US Central Command said it has yet to confirm any civilian
casualties from the bombing raids. |