US Launching Soaring Number of Airstrikes Against ISIS in Iraq, Syria

by | Mar 21, 2017

US Launching Soaring Number of Airstrikes Against ISIS in Iraq, Syria

by | Mar 21, 2017

Over 7,000 Strikes Carried Out in Just the Last Two Months

With the fighting against ISIS increasingly confined to densely populated cities like Mosul and Raqqa, the US air war against them continues to escalate precipitously, with record numbers of airstrikes in recent months, and the coalition dropping over 7,000 munitions on Iraq and Syria in just the last two months.

Air Force Central Command spokeswoman Capt. Kathleen Atanasoff attributed to the continued increase in strikes to the effort to support Iraq’s invasion of Mosul, a city of well over a million people. With the fighting there heavily confined to residential neighborhoods, however, the heavy use of airstrikes must raise concern of large civilian tolls.

January now stands as the record month for strikes in the current war, with some 3,600 US and coalition strikes taking place. The number in February was roughly equal at 3,440, with the difference attributable to there being less days in February.

Capt. Atanasoff wasn’t presenting this as a campaign at its peak, however, saying that as the military offensive on the ground moves forward, the US air campaign tends to increase, as the clearing of territory opens up new areas to US strikes in the effort to “hunt down and kill ISIS.” She added that the number of strikes in Afghanistan will also increase in Afghanistan, with the weather making it easier to carry out strikes.

Republished with permission from Antiwar.com

Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is the News Editor for Antiwar.com, your best source for antiwar news, viewpoints and activities. He has 10 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times and the Detroit Free Press.

View all posts

Our Books

Shop books published by the Libertarian Institute.

Podcasts

scotthortonshow logosq

coi banner sq2@0.5x

liberty weekly thumbnail

Don't Tread on Anyone Logo

313x0w (1)

313x0w (1)

313x0w (1)

Our Books

Recent Articles

Recent

TGIF: Hurray for the Industrial Revolution!

TGIF: Hurray for the Industrial Revolution!

Unbelievably, in 2025, walking among us are people, many of them young and college-educated, who believe the Industrial Revolution (spawned by the liberal Enlightenment) was a disaster for most of mankind. They yearn for what they imagine was the tranquil, plentiful,...

read more
Trump, India, and the China Hawks’ Horror

Trump, India, and the China Hawks’ Horror

For more than two decades, Washington labored to bring India closer—easing sanctions, opening high-tech trade, recognizing India as a responsible nuclear power, and embedding it in U.S.-led Indo-Pacific strategy. From President George W. Bush’s civil nuclear deal and...

read more

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This