Update: air strikes against Daesh

Summary

• SundayTuesday 246 JanuaryOctober -– Typhoonsan struckRAF twoReaper groupskilled ofterrorists Daeshwho terroristshad inattacked cavesIraqi security forces in northernthe Iraq.Anbar desert.

Detail

NotwithstandingUK Armed Forces continue to provide a significant contribution to the global impactcoalition ofensuring the coronavirusDaesh pandemic,terrorist Royalgroup Airdoes Forcenot aircraftbecome haveresurgent beenin ableSyria toand continueIraq, regularwith Royal Air Force aircraft flying daily armed reconnaissance missionspatrols. On toTuesday support6 theOctober, enduringa worksmall group of theDaesh extremists attacked Iraqi security forces toin preventthe anydesert resurgenceof Anbar province, west of theBaghdad. A Daeshcoalition terroristair movementstrike withinprovided theirimmediate country. Onsupport Sundayto 24the January,Iraqi atroops, coalitionand surveillancesucceeded aircraftin locateddestroying ahalf numberthe ofattacking Daesh fightersgroup. An basedRAF inReaper twowas cavesthen sometasked tento milesdeal northwith the remaining terrorists. The crew of Bayji,the andReaper twosuccessfully Typhoonlocated FGR4sthem, wereand taskedat toan strikeappropriate them.moment, Ourwith aircraftno conductedsign of a carefulstrike checkposing ofany therisks areato aroundfriendly theforces caves,or whichany werecivilians, conducted a milecarefully andplanned attack with a halfGBU-12 apart,guided forbomb. The anyIraqi signsforces ofsubsequently civiliansreported whothat mightthe bethreat athad risk,been beforeeliminated.

Previous conductingupdate

As simultaneouspart attacks,of usingthe twoUK’s Pavewaycontribution IVto guidedthe bombsGlobal againstCoalition eachin group. Allthe fourfight ofagainst Daesh, the bombsRoyal struckAir theirForce targetscontinues accuratelyto andfly daily missions against the striketerrorist wasmovement assessedin toSyria haveand beenIraq. aOur successaircraft inconduct eliminatingstrikes theon terrorist threat.targets when required.

Previous update

UKIntelligence Armedanalysis Forcesconfirmed continuethat toa provideDaesh aleadership significantgroup contributionhad toestablished thea globalcave coalitionnetwork ensuring85 themiles Daeshwest terroristof groupKirkuk doesin notnorthern becomeIraq. resurgentAn inRAF SyriaReaper andkept Iraq,a withclose Royalwatch Airon Forcethe aircraftlocation flyingduring dailythe armedearly reconnaissancehours patrols.of Thursday 20 August. OnWhen Tuesdayterrorists 6were October,identified aat smallthe groupcave ofentrance, Daeshthe extremistsReaper’s attackedcrew Iraqiconducted securityan forcesattack inwith a single Hellfire missile, having first swept the desertarea for any signs of Anbarcivilians province,who westmight ofbe Baghdad. Aplaced coalitionat airrisk. strikeThe providedmissile immediatestruck supportthe target accurately, and the blast was observed to emerge from another part of the Iraqicave troops,network, andindicating succeededthat inweapon’s destroyingeffect halfhad reached deep inside the attackingcaves.

In Daeshaddition group. Anto this, an RAF Reaper wasmaintained thensurveillance taskedon toanother dealset withof caves in the remainingarea terrorists. Theon crewWednesday of26 August, which confirmed the Reaperpresence successfullyof locateda them,number andof Daesh extremists at anthe appropriatesite. moment,When withterrorists nowere signobserved ofat athe strikemouth posingof anyone risksof tothe friendlycaves, forcesthe orReaper’s anycrew civilians,engaged conductedsuccessfully with a carefullyHellfire plannedmissile, attackthen withprovided surveillance support to a GBU-12follow-up guidedattack bomb. Theby Iraqitwo forcescoalition subsequentlyfast reportedjets thatwhich struck the threatrest hadof beenthe eliminated.Daesh position.