US military: ISIS on defensive, more than 6,000 targets hit by coalition

By Yerevan Saeed

WASHINGTON DC – The US-led coalition has damaged or destroyed more than 6,000 Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) targets in air strikes in Iraq and Syria, the US Central Command (Centcom) said.

It said in a statement Sunday that 6,097 targets have been hit since the start of air raids last summer. They include 77 tanks, 287 Humvee vehicles, 416 staging posts, 1,757 buildings, 1,330 fighting positions, 152 oil installations and 2,078 other various targets.

US and its partner nations have conducted more than 3,500 airstrikes against ISIS since the group stormed across Iraq in June, capturing about a third of the country.   

The total cost of operations related to ISIS since its inception has exceeded $2 billion and the Pentagon has estimated an average daily cost of $8.5 million. 

Centcom spokesman Air Force Col. Patrick Ryder said last week that ISIS is on the “defensive and its limited attacks are for propaganda purposes.” He added that, “While initial reports may sometimes give the impression (ISIL is on the offensive), we see no evidence that they’re able to do so.”