Dept. of Defense/Amanda Macias/Business Insider
The Pentagon's Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby announced 16 fighter jets participated in the air strikes, dropping 41 precision-guided bombs on 12 different oil refinery targets all located in Syria. The US was represented by 6 fighter jets and dropped 23 bombs on the said targets.
Admiral Kirby said the military is operating within the allocated budget on ISIS air strikes. He estimates the Pentagon is spending approximately $7-10 million a day.
"We are still assessing the outcome of the attack on the refineries, but have initial indications that the strikes were successful," Central Command said in a statement.
On Wednesday coalition forces began air strikes on oil targets and currently approximately 200 air strikes have been conducted since the US declared war against the extremist group.
Dept. of Defense/Amanda Macias/Business Insider
Considered the wealthiest terrorist group in the world, ISIS acquires a significant amount of its wealth from oil. Believed to control nearly 60% of Syria's oil fields, the group snags roughly $2 million a day by selling oil illegally.
ISIS allegedly sells much of its oil production to intermediaries in Syria, who then transport it to refineries in Turkey, Iran, and Kurdistan, Foreign Policy reported.
Reuters