UK Update on Air Strikes in Iraq: February 9, 2015

02/11/2015

2015-02-11 According to a story on the UK MoD website:

Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft operating in support of the Iraqi government have conducted further successful attacks on ISIL terrorists.

On the morning of Friday 6 February, an RAF Tornado GR4 patrol worked closely with a coalition surveillance platform to provide overwatch for Kurdish peshmerga, who were engaged in close combat with ISIL – also known as Da’ish – terrorists near Mosul.

When an ISIL mortar position opened fire on the pehsmerga, the GR4s were able to respond with a Brimstone missile which scored a direct hit.

Early on Saturday morning, another Tornado pair patrolled western Iraq, near Al Qa’im, close to the Syrian border.

A Royal Air Force Reaper RPAS. Credit: UK MOD
A Royal Air Force Reaper RPAS. Credit: UK MOD

Two heavily armed ISIL trucks were identified and attacked with Brimstone missiles.

The GR4s also located an ISIL armoured personnel carrier and conducted a further Brimstone attack; initial analysis indicates that all three vehicles were destroyed.

An armed reconnaissance patrol by a Reaper on Monday morning over western Iraq spotted a checkpoint manned by ISIL, denying the local population any freedom of movement.

Having checked the area for any risk to civilians, the Reaper’s crew attacked the checkpoint with a Hellfire missile.

Previous air strikes

2 February: Early on Monday, Tornado GR4s provided close air support to Iraqi army operations approximately 70 kilometres north west of Baghdad, and dropped 2 Paveway IVs on ISIL positions engaged in a firefight with the Iraqi troops.

4 February: In the afternoon, a pair of RAF Tornado GR4s conducted an armed reconnaissance patrol to assist the Iraqi armed forces in their offensive operations against ISIL around Bayji. Two ISIL armoured vehicles were identified in a building and were attacked with 2 Paveway IV precision guided bombs, scoring direct hits.

Military support is just one part of the UK government’s contribution to the global coalition strategy to defeat ISIL – the UK government also taking action to counter the terrorist network’s finances, are restricting the flow of foreign fighters and have provided vital humanitarian relief to help those affected by ISIL’s brutality.

The RAF contribution includes Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, which, like the Tornados, provide reconnaissance and close air support to the Iraqi ground forces; a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker; a Sentry airborne surveillance and command aircraft; and air transport aircraft as necessary. British military training teams continue to teach infantry and first aid skills to the Kurdish peshmerga, and liaison teams are embedded within Iraqi and coalition headquarters.

Having previously provided military equipment to the Iraqi forces, Britain plans to gift improvised explosive device (IED) detectors to help the Iraqi and Kurdish soldiers protect themselves against the numerous improvised explosive devices on which ISIL are increasingly relying as they are forced back by successful offensives. In the Gulf, the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless is operating in direct support of the US Navy’s aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson, which provides a significant part of the coalition’s air effort.

Details of previous airstrikes can be found here.

For more information see ISIL: UK government response page on GOV.UK