Years of Anti-ISIS Airstrikes Have Redrawn the Iraqi Map

Two years ago, just after the fall of Mosul, the US-led coalition launched the first airstrikes on ISIS, ushering in a deeper phase of intervention that dramatically changed the fight against the militant group in Iraq. That has meant an air war, supporting the Iraqi army and various militias, most notably the Kurdish peshmerga and YPG forces, though the US has about 3,800 military personnel stationed in Iraq, plus hundreds more on temporary duty, according to the Pentagon.

The UK is part of an global coalition fighting against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and has conducted air missions against IS in Iraq as well as in Syria from British sovereign bases on Cyprus.

The monitoring group said the coalition carried out more than 14,300 strikes defined as any raid in which one or more munitions are dropped.

A coalition airstrike destroyed 83 oil tankers used by the ISIS group over the weekend in eastern Syria, the USA military announced on Monday.

The majority of those travelling to Iraq and Syria to fight against the Islamic State come from Western countries, the report finds. This compares to an estimated 20,000 to 31,500 in 2014.

The group added that “at least 441 children and 245 women are reported to be among those killed in confirmed and likely events, along with 1,355 or more civilians reportedly injured”. Some observers believe civilian casualties have been significantly higher.

Russian planes hit its base with cluster munitions in two air strikes in June, prompting a diplomatic row after American fighter jets attempted to prevent the strike and instructions over a special communications channel to avoid mid-air confrontations were ignored.

While the UK Parliament had previously rejected proposals to send British troops to Syria, it permitted airstrikes against ISIS in late 2015 and extended the UK military action in the conflict-torn country. They are: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.