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Update: air strikes against Daesh

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

25 February 2019

Summary

- Monday 11 February – Typhoons supported the Syrian Democratic Forces east of Abu Kamal in Syria, striking two Daesh strong-points, including a heavy machine-gun position.
- Tuesday 19 February – Typhoons used a Brimstone 2 missile to destroy a boat used by Daesh on the Euphrates.

Detail

As the Syrian Democratic Forces have continued their operations to clear the last small remaining pocket of Daesh-held territory that has been identified in eastern Syria, Royal Air Force aircraft have maintained daily armed reconnaissance support, delivering air attacks if needed by the SDF on the ground. On Monday 11 February, the SDF encountered two Daesh strong-points on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, across the river from Abu Kamal. These strong-points were directing fire, including from a heavy machine-gun, at close range against the SDF, so assistance was requested from two RAF Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker. The Typhoons conducted an accurate simultaneous attack on both strong-points, hitting each with a Paveway IV guided bomb, and successfully eliminated the threat to the SDF.

A further pair of Typhoons patrolled the Euphrates valley on Tuesday 19 February; a boat had been identified as being used by Daesh, and was found by the Typhoons to be moored on the river bank due south of Baghuz Fawqani. A Brimstone 2 missile was employed to deny the terrorists use of the craft, whether to bring in supplies or allow them to set up operations elsewhere. This was the first operational firing of a Brimstone 2 from a Typhoon FGR4, following the aircraft's recent upgrade.

UK contribution to the fight against Daesh

Campaign against Daesh

Previous update

Coalition aircraft remain available to assist the Iraqi security forces in their operations to prevent Daesh re-establishing any foothold in the country. An important part of this work is the ability to destroy terrorist stockpiles of weapons and other equipment concealed in remote areas of the countryside. On Monday 7 January, two RAF Tornado GR4s delivered an attack with a pair of Paveway IV guided bombs which successfully collapsed the entrance to a cave, fifty-five miles south-east of Kirkuk, where one such stockpile was known to be stored.

In Syria, our aircraft have continued to provide close air support to the Syrian Democratic Forces as they clear the ever-diminishing pocket of Daesh territory south of Hajin and north of Abu Kamal. Typhoon FGR4s, armed with Paveway IVs, attacked three buildings six miles north-east of Abu Kamal on Wednesday 9 January; Daesh fighters in the buildings were engaged in a close-quarters firefight with the advancing SDF. A pair of Tornados meanwhile used two Paveway IVs to deal with a truck-bomb facility in the same area. The following day, Typhoons struck a further three buildings, again being used as strong-points by Daesh. A Reaper was also patrolling the area, and its crew conducted two successful engagements with Hellfire missiles on Daesh terrorists, including a pair spotted setting up a firing position on a rooftop.

Tornados gave further assistance to the Iraqi security forces on Saturday 12 January, when they were asked to demolish the entrances to a set of tunnels discovered in the countryside to the south-west of Mosul. Each of the three entrances was successfully struck with a Paveway IV. On Sunday 13 January, Tornados were tasked with the destruction of a building five miles north-east of Abu Kamal where Daesh were known to be storing truck-bombs. The building and its contents was destroyed with a single Paveway; the Tornados then bombed a chokepoint on the nearby main road to prevent Daesh from moving any more truck-bombs into the area.

Tornados delivered similar attacks on Wednesday 16 January, bombing a further truck-bomb facility to the north-east of Abu Kamal, then cratering in two places a road leading towards the SDF locations. One of the Paveways used to crater the road caused a secondary explosion, an indication that Daesh had probably planted a booby-trap at that location. Typhoons also flew support for the SDF, striking a Daesh-held building. On Thursday 17 January, Typhoons attacked through cloud two Daesh positions which the SDF had under close observation - they confirmed both targets had been hit accurately – whilst Tornados bombed six more terrorist strong-points and firing positions.

The SDF encountered a Daesh-held building as they continued their advance on Friday 18 January, and found themselves under heavy fire. Two Typhoons were tasked to assist them, and a single Paveway IV removed the threat with a direct hit on the target. The following day, both Typhoons and Tornados flew close air support for the SDF, and delivered two attacks, striking a terrorist strong-point and eliminating a sniper position.

Two Tornados and two Typhoons provided further assistance to the SDF on Thursday 24 January, as they attacked a Daesh-held area on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, a few miles to the north-east and east of Abu Kamal. The Typhoons hit a group of terrorists fighting in the open, as well as two strong-points from which fire was being directed at the SDF, whilst the Tornados hit four such positions. All of these successful attacks used Paveway IV guided bombs. On Friday 25 January, Typhoon and Tornado flights each accounted for a further Daesh-held building, and on Saturday 26 January, a pair of Tornados struck five positions, all of which had been used by terrorists engaged in firefights with the SDF.

Royal Air Force aircraft have since continued flying armed reconnaissance patrols, on hand to support the SDF if required. Thursday 31 January saw the last operational sorties by Tornado GR4s – a pair flew an uneventful patrol over Syria, recovering safely to RAF Akrotiri at 1400 GMT after a mission lasting 6½ hours.