{"id":57999,"date":"2017-11-21T18:54:45","date_gmt":"2017-11-21T18:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/11\/21\/air-force-afghanistan-airstrikes-spike-while-anti-isis-bombings-decrease\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:00:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:00:05","slug":"air-force-afghanistan-airstrikes-spike-while-anti-isis-bombings-decrease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/11\/21\/air-force-afghanistan-airstrikes-spike-while-anti-isis-bombings-decrease\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force: Afghanistan airstrikes spike while anti-ISIS bombings decrease"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The number of weapons released in Afghanistan hit its highest monthly point in nearly seven years in October, and the total number of weapons released this year is on track to nearly triple over 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the number of weapons released against the Islamic State fell precipitously in October to their lowest point since October 2014 \u2015 the third month of Operation Inherent Resolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statistics, released Tuesday by U.S. Air Forces Central Command<\/a>, are a sign of how quickly the war against ISIS is changing in the wake of several costly defeats for the militant group. They also reflect how the coalition is aggressively ramping up its efforts in Afghanistan in the more than 16-year war against the Taliban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coalition released 653 weapons over Afghanistan last month, more than any since November 2010, when aircraft released 866 weapons. The coalition also released 740 weapons in September 2010 and 1,043 in October 2010; that period marked some of the most intense fighting of the bloody Battle of Sangin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFCENT originally said last month that 751 weapons were released<\/a> over Afghanistan in September, but later revised that number down to 414. In an email, AFCENT said that it had miscounted F-16 20mm cannon fire, mistakenly treating each round as its own weapon release instead of counting 100 rounds fired as one weapon release, as it usually does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coalition has now released 3,554 weapons in the first 10 months of 2017. At this rate, the coalition is likely to drop more than 4,000 bombs by the end of the year, which would at least triple the 1,337 released in all of 2016. The last time Afghanistan airstrikes topped 4,000 was in 2012, when 4,083 weapons were released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFCENT said that the September increase of F-16s deployed to Afghanistan\u2019s Bagram Air Base, from 12 to 18, contributed to the coalition\u2019s increase in airstrikes. The coalition\u2019s increased use of B-52s there, and placement of a detachment of KC-135 reconnaissance aircraft in Afghanistan also allowed it to strike more targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFCENT also attributed the increase in strikes to more offensive maneuvers by the Taliban and ISIS-Khorasan, a local affiliate of ISIS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coalition is growing increasingly aggressive in targeting Taliban operations, as it begins to use expanded authorities to strike there as part of President Trump\u2019s new strategy. On Sunday, F-22s were used for the first time<\/a> to strike targets in Afghanistan in a mission that destroyed eight Taliban production facilities in Helmand Province. <\/p>\n\n\n\t