At 9:30 am local time,ISIL militants,having broken through Kurdish Peshmerga front lines near the town of Tel Asqof in Northern Iraq with bulldozers and suicide bombs,including vehicle-borne IEDs,killed a US Navy SEAL with direct small arms fire 3-5 km behind the front lines.He's been identified as Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Charles Keating IV,31,of Phoenix,Arizona,grandson of the late banker Charles H. Keating,Jr.,who was imprisoned for five years for financial crimes committed in the 1980s.SWO Keating,based at Coronado,California,was there advising and assisting the Peshmerga,who are regarded as among the most effective fighting forces in the anti-ISIL Operation Inherent Resolve.*
The militants had overrun Asqof at dawn in a rare,if temporary,loss by the Kurds.SWO Keating,engaged to be married,was killed in a firefight that erupted in the course of the extended battle that followed.US F-15Cs and drones came to the Kurds' assistance,dropping at least 20 bombs and helping to drive ISIL back out of Tel Asqof.It was the third US combat death in OIR.Besides SWO Keating,according to the Kurdistan Region Security Council,more than 80 militants and at least 10 Kurds died in the Battle of Tel Asqof,which is about 28 km/17 miles from the ISIL stronghold of Mosul.Christian militiamen also assisted the Kurds.*
The US is in the process of moving Special Operations Forces closer to the front lines in Northern Iraq,and bringing in more troops and Apache helicopters as OIR ground forces begin encircling Mosul,having driven ISIL out of Ramadi,Anbar Province in December 2015,and then expelling them from the Hit region,also in Anbar Province,driving the Islamist extremists up the Euphrates River Valley.
Showing posts with label Irbil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Irbil. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Inside the Night Raid on ISIL by Kurdish and US Special Forces - tactical details not on TV
At the request of the Kurdish Regional Government,Kurdish counterterrorist troops,backed by US Special Operations Forces,staged a raid in the early hours of Thursday on an ISIL prison in Kirkuk Province,seven kilometers north of the ISIL stronghold of Hawija in Northern Iraq.Dozens of US troops participated in the operation.Intelligence had been received indicating the prisoners' execution by ISIL militants was imminent.The raid was approved by Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.
The raid began as five US helicopters left Irbil,the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan,to provide troop transport,intelligence and airstrikes for the operation.Attack helicopters strafed the prison area before the raid to block approaches for any potential ISIL reinforcements;after the raid,the helos destroyed the prison.
Once inserted in the prison,the Kurds came under intense attack.Seeing the Kurds pinned down and taking hits,their US advisors engaged the miltants.One of the US special operatives was wounded in the firefight and airlifted to an Irbil hospital,where he died-the first American to die in combat in Iraq since the US withdrew its forces in 2011.The battle lasted two hours.
Killed was Master Sergeant Joshua L. Wheeler,39,of Roland,Oklahoma.A member of the 2nd Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment,Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington state,he was assigned to Army Special Operations Command,Fort Bragg,North Carolina.MSGT Wheeler had served more than 12 combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan-one of the most experienced and valiant members of the SOFs.
About 70 prisoners,among whom were around 20 Iraqi Security Forces members,were freed during the raid.All of the prisoners were reportedly Arabs.More than 20 of the ISIL Islamist extremists were killed in the operation and five were captured.The US gleaned valuable intelligence on ISIL from the raid,said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook.*
In May,US SOFs had staged a raid in Syria and killed a senior ISIL leader,Abu Sayyaf of Tunisia.
The raid began as five US helicopters left Irbil,the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan,to provide troop transport,intelligence and airstrikes for the operation.Attack helicopters strafed the prison area before the raid to block approaches for any potential ISIL reinforcements;after the raid,the helos destroyed the prison.
Once inserted in the prison,the Kurds came under intense attack.Seeing the Kurds pinned down and taking hits,their US advisors engaged the miltants.One of the US special operatives was wounded in the firefight and airlifted to an Irbil hospital,where he died-the first American to die in combat in Iraq since the US withdrew its forces in 2011.The battle lasted two hours.
Killed was Master Sergeant Joshua L. Wheeler,39,of Roland,Oklahoma.A member of the 2nd Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment,Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington state,he was assigned to Army Special Operations Command,Fort Bragg,North Carolina.MSGT Wheeler had served more than 12 combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan-one of the most experienced and valiant members of the SOFs.
About 70 prisoners,among whom were around 20 Iraqi Security Forces members,were freed during the raid.All of the prisoners were reportedly Arabs.More than 20 of the ISIL Islamist extremists were killed in the operation and five were captured.The US gleaned valuable intelligence on ISIL from the raid,said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook.*
In May,US SOFs had staged a raid in Syria and killed a senior ISIL leader,Abu Sayyaf of Tunisia.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
War On ISIL:New Chairman Visits Iraq;ISF Reclaim Beiji;A-10s Deployed
A number of developments in the War On ISIL are in the news.Yesterday,General Joseph Dunford,USMC,new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,visited the Iraqi city of Irbil in the north of the country while on the first trip of his tenure,having previously stopped in Israel and Jordan.In Irbil GEN Dunford met with Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani at the Kurdish White House.
I hope coming here so soon after I assumed my new position indicates how important this endeavour is to us,GEN Dunford said.And upfront I want to thank you for your cooperation and the bravery of your forces.*
At the Kurdish Training Coordination Center in Irbil,which is under Italian command,journalists were briefed on the training regimen by a senior coalition officer.There are currently 4200 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in training at the three training areas.Coming off the front line just 60 kilometers away,they are trained for 5-6 weeks before re-entering the battlefield.The training is tailored to the specific needs of the units.
Besides Italy,other NATO countries contributing to the force of about 300 instructors are Norway,the UK,Germany,the Netherlands and Hungary-plus NATO partner Finland.The Kurdish Peshmerga's infantry skills are reinforced,and they are taught the capabilities of new weapons coming into their system and how to function as a unit.Other topics include marksmanship;counter-ground tactics;combat medicine;manoeuvering as a unit;and forward observing.A special emphasis is placed on dealing with IEDs,which cause 80-85% of Kurdish casualties.Tactics,techniques and procedures against the devices are instilled.
The officer said he was impressed with the brave,dedicated and coherent units of the Kurdish forces.Both in Iraq and Syria,they have become a critical ground combat element of Operation Inherent Resolve,assisted by close air support from the OIR coalition.Up to 5,000 Kurds can be trained at one time.*
In the west,eight brigades of Sunni tribal militias are being trained for the effort to retake capital city Ramadi and the rest of Anbar Province.Iraqi Security Forces and militias have encircled Ramadi as a first step in retaking the city,where some 600-1,000 ISIL militants are based.*
In Salahuddin Province,Central Iraq,a major offensive by Iraqi Security Forces-principally the counterterrorism service-along with federal and local police,plus Iranian-backed Shia paramilitary militias,and aided by OIR coalition close air support,has been mounted to clear the province of the ISIL Islamist extremists.It is seen as a precursor operation to the looming battle for the ISIL northern stronghold of Mosul.Last week,the ISF and partners retook the strategic Beiji oil refinery and today,20 October,announced the recapture of Beiji city itself from ISIL.*
On the Syrian front,the US Air Force has just deployed 12 A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft to Incirlik Air Base,Turkey,to assist in the OIR Syria campaign.These will enhance close air support to the YPG Kurdish Forces and the Syrian Arab Coalition as they battle ISIL.
I hope coming here so soon after I assumed my new position indicates how important this endeavour is to us,GEN Dunford said.And upfront I want to thank you for your cooperation and the bravery of your forces.*
At the Kurdish Training Coordination Center in Irbil,which is under Italian command,journalists were briefed on the training regimen by a senior coalition officer.There are currently 4200 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in training at the three training areas.Coming off the front line just 60 kilometers away,they are trained for 5-6 weeks before re-entering the battlefield.The training is tailored to the specific needs of the units.
Besides Italy,other NATO countries contributing to the force of about 300 instructors are Norway,the UK,Germany,the Netherlands and Hungary-plus NATO partner Finland.The Kurdish Peshmerga's infantry skills are reinforced,and they are taught the capabilities of new weapons coming into their system and how to function as a unit.Other topics include marksmanship;counter-ground tactics;combat medicine;manoeuvering as a unit;and forward observing.A special emphasis is placed on dealing with IEDs,which cause 80-85% of Kurdish casualties.Tactics,techniques and procedures against the devices are instilled.
The officer said he was impressed with the brave,dedicated and coherent units of the Kurdish forces.Both in Iraq and Syria,they have become a critical ground combat element of Operation Inherent Resolve,assisted by close air support from the OIR coalition.Up to 5,000 Kurds can be trained at one time.*
In the west,eight brigades of Sunni tribal militias are being trained for the effort to retake capital city Ramadi and the rest of Anbar Province.Iraqi Security Forces and militias have encircled Ramadi as a first step in retaking the city,where some 600-1,000 ISIL militants are based.*
In Salahuddin Province,Central Iraq,a major offensive by Iraqi Security Forces-principally the counterterrorism service-along with federal and local police,plus Iranian-backed Shia paramilitary militias,and aided by OIR coalition close air support,has been mounted to clear the province of the ISIL Islamist extremists.It is seen as a precursor operation to the looming battle for the ISIL northern stronghold of Mosul.Last week,the ISF and partners retook the strategic Beiji oil refinery and today,20 October,announced the recapture of Beiji city itself from ISIL.*
On the Syrian front,the US Air Force has just deployed 12 A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft to Incirlik Air Base,Turkey,to assist in the OIR Syria campaign.These will enhance close air support to the YPG Kurdish Forces and the Syrian Arab Coalition as they battle ISIL.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Marines Come Under Attack in Iraq;Latest Airstrikes;Training Iraqi Troops
It is fair to say the al-Asad command has come under regular fire,but the fire has been completely ineffective,said Pentagon spokesman COL Steven Warren,US Army.These are purely nuisance attacks.Some 320 Marines are at the al-Asad Air Base in Western Anbar,where they have been training,advising and assisting the Iraqi 7th Division since 20 December.No Marines or their equipment have been hit by the incoming ISIL fire,and the Marines have not returned fire.Mostly they have been mortar attacks,but with some rockets as well.The Iraqi forces have done a very good job of creating a security zone,COL Warren noted.The Marines,members of a Marine Air Ground Task Force(MAGTF)under US Central Command,are among about 2100 US troops currently in Iraq.Around 800 of these are security and force protection troops;the others are on the train,advise and assist mission of Operation Inherent Resolve,the anti-ISIL militant effort.These 1300 are getting the Iraqi and Kurdsh Peshmerga forces ready to go on the offensive against ISIL and reclaim lost territory.Up to 1300 more US troops are on the way later this month,for a total of up to 3400 US troops in Iraq.*
In coalition airstrikes taking place in Iraq and Syria from 5-6 January,the Pentagon reports that 13 ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL building were destroyed near Kobani,Syria;while in Iraq,a strike destroyed an ISIL tactical unit,an ISIL armoured vehicle and another ISIL vehicle near Asad.Nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the US,Australia,Belgium,Canada,Denmark,France,the Netherlands and the UK.Those conducting airstrikes in Syria include the US,Bahrain,Jordan,Saudi Arabia and the UAE.*
Besides al-Asad Air Base,another training camp for Iraqi troops has been opened at Taji north of Baghdad,to be followed by a third camp at Besmaya southeast of Baghdad;Kurdish Peshmerga fighters will be trained at a fourth camp in Irbil in the north.
In coalition airstrikes taking place in Iraq and Syria from 5-6 January,the Pentagon reports that 13 ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL building were destroyed near Kobani,Syria;while in Iraq,a strike destroyed an ISIL tactical unit,an ISIL armoured vehicle and another ISIL vehicle near Asad.Nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the US,Australia,Belgium,Canada,Denmark,France,the Netherlands and the UK.Those conducting airstrikes in Syria include the US,Bahrain,Jordan,Saudi Arabia and the UAE.*
Besides al-Asad Air Base,another training camp for Iraqi troops has been opened at Taji north of Baghdad,to be followed by a third camp at Besmaya southeast of Baghdad;Kurdish Peshmerga fighters will be trained at a fourth camp in Irbil in the north.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Hagel and Dempsey on US Strategy in Iraq
There are limited signs of progress in Iraq three months after the air campaign began,US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the House Armed Services Committee last week.The advance by ISIL in parts of Iraq has stalled,and in some cases been reversed,by Iraqi,Kurdish and tribal forces supported by US-led coalition air strikes.More than 130 of the more than 800 strikes since 8 August have been by coalition partners,including Canada,which made its first sorties last week.The coalition consists of 12 nations.*
Some 1500 new US troops supplementing the 1400 already in Iraq will work out of Joint Operations Centers in Baghdad and Irbil,as well as four new training centers in North,West and Central Iraq.*
The US is certainly considering putting boots on the ground to advise and call in airstrikes on the frontlines,Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey added.The Iraqi trops are doing a better job,but there are places that will be beyond them,such as Mosul and the Syrian border.We're considering US forces accompanying Iraqi troops.In Syria,our actions against ISIL are focused on shaping the dynamic in Iraq,which remains the priority of our counter-ISIL strategy.*
We are sober about the challenges we face as ISIL exploits the complicated,long-running Syrian conflict,Secretary Hagel explained to the Members of Congress.
Some 1500 new US troops supplementing the 1400 already in Iraq will work out of Joint Operations Centers in Baghdad and Irbil,as well as four new training centers in North,West and Central Iraq.*
The US is certainly considering putting boots on the ground to advise and call in airstrikes on the frontlines,Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey added.The Iraqi trops are doing a better job,but there are places that will be beyond them,such as Mosul and the Syrian border.We're considering US forces accompanying Iraqi troops.In Syria,our actions against ISIL are focused on shaping the dynamic in Iraq,which remains the priority of our counter-ISIL strategy.*
We are sober about the challenges we face as ISIL exploits the complicated,long-running Syrian conflict,Secretary Hagel explained to the Members of Congress.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)