"In coordination with the government of Iraq, the Coalition conducted airstrikes Sept. 8 against an ISIL [Islamic State] operating base and staging area located in a stadium near Ramadi," CENTCOM said.
The stadium has been a key Islamic State command and supply hub in Ramadi, CENTCOM noted. It was utilized to keep huge amounts of explosives, weapons, ammunition, and vehicle borne improvised explosive device components.
"ISIL [Islamic State] used the stadium as a base of operations to control fighters across the Ramadi region, and as a central node for lethal aid funneled down the Euphrates River Valley," CENTCOM explained. "Destroying this hub will significantly disrupt ISIL's [Islamic State’s] ability to conduct operations and resupply their fighters in Ramadi."
The 62-nation US-led coalition has carried more than 6,500 airstrikes on Islamic State targets since August 2014. US officials have estimated that the military campaign against the Islamic State has eliminated more than 10,000 of the terrorist group’s fighters.
