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Update: air strikes against Daesh

The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Syria.

23 January 2018

Summary

Monday 15 January – a Reaper destroyed a lorry-bomb and a terrorist truck in eastern Syria.

Wednesday 17 January – a mixed Tornado/Typhoon flight attacked three groups of terrorists in eastern Syria.

Thursday 18 January – two Reapers struck six terrorist targets, including two armed trucks, two lorry-bombs, a mortar and a Daesh-held building, in eastern Syria.

Friday 19 January – Typhoons and Tornados struck six terrorist positions and a truck-bomb in eastern Syria.

Saturday 20 January – a Reaper destroyed a Daesh-held building in eastern Syria, whilst Typhoons demolished a second.

Sunday 21 January – a Reaper attacked three terrorist targets in eastern Syria, including a group of extremists spotted setting up a potential ambush position.

Detail

Royal Air Force aircraft have continued to support operations by the Syrian Democratic Forces to liberate the Euphrates valley in eastern Syria from the brutality of Daesh. A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft patrolled north of Abu Kamal on Monday 15 January. An armoured truck had been spotted parked on a main road, ahead of the SDF advance, and was assessed to be a probable lorry-bomb. The Reaper's crew used a Hellfire missile to attack the vehicle and safely eliminate any threat it might pose; the very large explosion that resulted confirmed that it could indeed have posed a very dangerous risk to the SDF and the local civilian population. Later in the patrol, terrorists were spotted interacting with a truck, well concealed under trees. A second Hellfire missile was fired, and guided with great precision through the treeline to score a direct hit. Multiple secondary explosions followed as the truck's cargo detonated.

The Syrian Democratic Forces encountered a Daesh-held building as they cleared a village on the east bank of the Euphrates, north-west of Hajin, on Wednesday 17 January. A mixed pair of a Tornado GR4 and a Typhoon FGR4 came to their assistance and, despite the close proximity of the SDF to the target, successfully demolished the building with a Paveway IV guided bomb. Our aircraft then inflicted further casualties on the terrorists in the area, using Brimstone missiles to strike two groups of extremists manoeuvring on foot.

SDF operations north of Abu Kamal on Thursday 18 January were supported by two RAF Reapers as well as other coalition aircraft. One of our Reapers used a Hellfire to knock out an armed truck that was firing on the SDF, then pursued a second such vehicle as it drove away and destroyed it with another Hellfire. A third Hellfire was used in a successful attack on a Daesh-held building. The second Reaper also conducted three attacks; a Hellfire missile silenced a mortar spotted firing from beneath some trees, and a further missile and a GBU-12 guided bomb took care of two truck-bombs. As well as conducting their own attacks, the Reapers also provided targeting and surveillance support to seven attacks by coalition aircraft, against a range of terrorist positions, including two engineering vehicles being used by Daesh, and a large group of terrorists mounted on motorcycles, whom our aircraft tracked to a compound, where they were successfully targeted by a fast jet.

The Euphrates valley was blanketed by cloud on Friday 19 January, but two RAF flights of Typhoons and Tornados nevertheless continued to provide effective air support to the SDF. Six attacks were delivered with Paveway IVs through the cloud onto terrorist positions with which the SDF were engaged in close combat; all six Daesh positions were reported by the SDF to have been destroyed, along with a truck-bomb. The following day, a Reaper used a GBU-12 guided bomb to demolish a Daesh-held building north-west of Abu Kamal, and provided targeting and surveillance support to four coalition air strikes, including one which destroyed a munitions stockpile detected when the Reaper spotted terrorists delivering weapons to the building. A flight of Typhoons were also active over the area, and they used a Paveway to destroy a further Daesh-held building.

On Sunday 21 January, a Reaper identified a group of extremists setting up a probable ambush position in and around a small building in the Euphrates valley. A Hellfire missile scored a direct hit, killing the terrorists and causing a large secondary explosion, likely from weapons concealed inside the building. The Reaper then conducted a further two Hellfire attacks on terrorist positions, and supported a successful coalition air strike.

UK contribution to the fight against Daesh

Campaign against Daesh

Previous update

Operations by the Syrian Democratic Forces to clear Daesh from the Euphrates valley in eastern Syria have continued to receive extensive support from Royal Air Force aircraft flying reconnaissance and close air support missions. A Reaper tracked terrorists manoeuvring to the north-east of Abu Kamal on Monday 8 January, and conducted four successful attacks, with three Hellfire missiles and a GBU-12 guided bomb, against extremists on foot and a Daesh pair moving at high speed on a motorcycle across the desert. Two Typhoon FGR4s were also active over the area on the same day, and they used Paveway IV guided bombs to demolish a building which had been identified as a terrorist command post.

Reaper operations over the Euphrates valley continued on Tuesday 9 January, when one of our aircraft spotted a group of armed terrorists on a rooftop north-east of Hajin, observing Syrian Democratic Forces' positions through binoculars. A Hellfire missile successfully struck the group, and a second missile was later used to eliminate another Daesh group who had taken up position within a building. The following day, another Reaper worked closely with coalition surveillance aircraft and fast jets in a series of strikes in support of the SDF advance. Our aircraft supported coalition air attacks on a Daesh-held building and a mortar position, and conducted three attacks with its own Hellfire missiles, destroying an armed truck parked under cover of a vehicle shelter, and hitting two groups of terrorists on foot. A flight of Tornado GR4s also took part in this operation, and targeted an armed truck positioned within a compound; the use of a Brimstone missile allowed the vehicle to be destroyed without posing a risk to nearby buildings.

On Thursday 11 January, a Reaper again patrolled north of Abu Kamal, the crew using the aircraft's long endurance and sophisticated surveillance sensors to provide overwatch for the SDF on the ground. Three groups of terrorists were successfully attacked with Hellfires, and a fourth missile was employed to kill a Daesh extremist spotted on a rooftop, controlling a small drone of the type used by the terrorists to attempt to spot opponents and conduct harassing attacks with improvised weaponry. Another Reaper continued support to the SDF in this area on Friday 12 January, and its crew conducted attacks with Hellfire missiles on a Daesh-held building and a terrorist moving at speed on a motorcycle.

A Reaper worked very closely with another coalition armed reconnaissance aircraft on Saturday 13 January, again to the north of Abu Kamal. Our aircraft spotted a second terrorist drone team launching a quadcopter from a rooftop, and kept close watch on them whilst the coalition aircraft manoeuvred into a suitable firing position from which it successfully attacked the drone team. The Reaper supported a further two successful attacks by its coalition companion, and also delivered five attacks with four Hellfire missiles and one GBU-12 guided bomb. These weapons struck four buildings and a defensive berm, from which fire had been directed by extremists at the Syrian Democratic Forces. On Sunday 14 January, a Reaper spotted the third terrorist drone team identified during the week; on this occasion, the extremists attempted to conceal themselves in a building, but could be seen controlling the drone from the top-floor window. A Hellfire was directed accurately through the window.

Friday 1 December: A Reaper worked very closely with two flights of coalition aircraft, some fifteen miles north-west of Abu Kamal. The Reaper supported seven attacks by the coalition jets against several groups of terrorists, an armed truck and a Daesh-held building, and conducted three attacks with its own Hellfire missiles, which killed a number of extremists spotted both in defensive positions and in the open.

Sunday 3 December: Another Reaper provided similar assistance to the Syrian Democratic Forces. Our aircraft provided surveillance support to a successful coalition air attack, then used a Hellfire missile to eliminate a group of terrorists who had taken up position in a building to the north-east of Abu Hammam.

Saturday 9 December: Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that Iraqi forces had successfully restored control over the entire border with Syria. Coalition aircraft continue to be on hand to support the Iraqi security forces against any isolated pockets of Daesh extremists that might be found, and two RAF Tornado GR4s carried out such a mission on Saturday night. A coalition surveillance aircraft had identified a dispersed group of terrorists in a remote area of countryside some 40 miles north-west of Tikrit, and the Tornados were tasked with their destruction. Two Paveway IV guided bombs were used, along with a Brimstone missile which destroyed the terrorists' nearby truck.

Sunday 10 December: A Reaper provided further support to the Syrian Democratic Forces in eastern Syria. Our aircraft tracked various groups of terrorists which allowed them to be struck by a series of attacks by coalition fast jets, and conducted one attack using its own Hellfire weaponry.

Tuesday 12 December: A Reaper identified a small group of Daesh extremists firing on the SDF. The Reaper's crew kept very close watch on a number of civilians, including women and children, who were evacuating the village, and waited until they were clear of the area before conducting a successful attack on the terrorists with a Hellfire missile.

Friday 15 December: Another Reaper flew a similar mission in the area. It spotted several terrorists occupying a compound and hit them with a Hellfire missile. A second group of terrorists then attempted to take up firing positions in the same compound, and were also struck with a Hellfire. Later in the day, the Reaper's crew tracked a group of men acting suspiciously around a area of trees, and close observation identified a truck, carrying a mortar, camouflaged under the trees. The Reaper was able to pinpoint the position for coalition jets which delivered an accurate attack which destroyed the vehicle and mortar.

Sunday 17 December: A pair of Typhoon FGR4s also provided support to the SDF in the Euphrates valley, near Abu Hardub. A coalition surveillance aircraft observed a number of extremists taking up position in a building, and the Typhoons subsequently destroyed the target with a single Paveway IV guided bomb.

Saturday 23 December: A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft worked closely with coalition jets near Abu Hammam. The Reaper's crew provided surveillance support to a coalition air strike on a Daesh-occupied building, then tracked a small group of terrorists as they attempted to seek shelter in an outbuilding nearby. Having checked the area carefully for any signs of civilians who might be placed at risk, the Reaper's crew then conducted a successful attack with a Hellfire missile, which destroyed the outbuilding and its occupants.

Thursday 28 December: Tornado GR4s, flying from RAF Akrotiri and, as ever, supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, flew an armed reconnaissance mission over the Euphrates. Their attention was directed to a Daesh defensive position, consisting of two buildings surrounded by earthworks, at a remote spot north-east of Abu Kamal, close to the border with Iraq. Our aircraft demolished both of the buildings with a pair of Paveway IVs.

Friday 29 December: Two flights of Tornados flew close air support for the Syrian Democratic Forces the following day, despite difficult weather conditions; one flight employed a Paveway IV to destroy a building from which fire was being directed at close range against the SDF, whilst the second pair of Tornados engaged through cloud a group of terrorists engaged in street fighting; a Paveway removed the threat to the SDF.

Saturday 6 January: Two Typhoons conducted a night attack on an isolated building some seven miles north-east of Abu Kamal, used as accommodation by Daesh extremists, including local commanders. A pair of Paveway IVs destroyed the target.

Sunday 7 January: A Reaper once again worked with coalition fast jets over the Euphrates, in support of the SDF. The Reaper observed a group of terrorists assembling under a tree, around twenty miles south-east of Mayadin, allowing a prompt and effective strike by another coalition aircraft, then delivered a further attack using one of its own Hellfire missiles. Following the defeat of Daesh in Iraq, coalition aircraft have remained on-call to support the Iraqi security forces as necessary to prevent any attempts by the terrorists to mount further operations in the country, and on Sunday a Typhoon flight was tasked to deal with a group of extremists who had been tracked to a cave some twelve miles north-east of Bayji. A direct hit was achieved with a Paveway IV, killing several terrorists in and around the cave entrance.