REUTERS/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Scott Pittman/U.S. Navy
An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the Knighthawks of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136 flies above the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the Arabian Sea in this September 18, 2012 handout photo.
The expanded campaign will mark a dramatic shift in policy against the group, after a campaign that has been mostly aimed at containing the group's advances in Iraq.
To that note, the Pentagon on Wednesday released a summary of the U.S. military's actions to date thus far in Iraq. It has conducted 154 strikes against ISIS-held targets, damaging or destroying 212 targets in the process. The Pentagon also said that a total of 1,043 U.S. forces are currently in Iraq, the majority of which are providing support to diplomatic security at facilities in Baghdad.
Here's a breakdown from the Pentagon on where the strikes have taken place and the ISIS targets they have damaged or destroyed:
Total Strikes:
The U.S. military has conducted a total of 154 strikes against ISIL targets. The following is a breakdown of strikes by location:
- Irbil: 29
- Sinjar: 13
- Mosul Dam: 91
- Amirli: 4
- Haditha: 17
ISIL Targets Damaged or Destroyed:
The U.S. military has damaged or destroyed 212 ISIL targets. The following is a breakdown of targets by category including vehicles, weapons systems, and facilities.
Total ISIL Vehicles: 162
- Armed Vehicles: 88
- Humvees: 37
- Armored Personnel Carriers: 12
- Tanks: 2
- MRAPs: 1
- Construction Vehicle: 1
- Miscellaneous Vehicles: 21
Total ISIL Weapons Systems: 21
- Anti Aircraft Artillery: 7
- IED Emplacements: 7
- Mortar Positions: 5
- Machine Gun Locations: 1
- Weapons Cache: 1
Total ISIL Facilities: 29
- Fighting Positions: 12
- Checkpoints: 10
- Observation Posts: 2
- Buildings: 2
- Command Post: 1
- Bunkers: 1
- Large Ground Unit: 1
The Pentagon also provided an update on the humanitarian aid that has been supplied to regions under the control of ISIS in Iraq, with support from allies in the U.K., France, and Australia.
Near Mount Sinjar, the U.S. military conducted 28 airdrops of food and supplies to the religious minority Yazidi sect. The airdrops provided 35,000 gallons of water and nearly 115,000 ready-to-eat meals.
Near Amirli, the U.S. military conducted four airdrops of food and water to Shiite Turkomen. Those airdrops provided 10,500 gallons of water and more than 7,000 ready-to-eat meals.