RAF air strikes in Iraq and Syria: April 2019 to December 2019
Updated 24 March 2023
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Wednesday 24 April 2019
Coalition intelligence efforts pinpointed a dispersed Daesh network of caves and tunnels in the hills some forty miles east-north-east of Tikrit, and two Typhoons were assigned to attack six entrances on Wednesday 24 April. Paveway IV guided bombs were successfully employed by our aircraft in carrying out this mission.
Sunday 19 May 2019
A pair of RAF Typhoon FGR4s, based at RAF Akrotiri, were tasked to assist the Iraqi security forces with the destruction of a tunnel wherein a group of Daesh were reported to have established themselves. Our aircraft carefully checked the area, in the hills to the south-west of Mosul, for any signs of civilian activity that could be placed at risk, before conducting a precision attack with a pair of Paveway IV guided bombs which successfully destroyed the entrance to the tunnel.
Thursday 13 June 2019
A further such attack in support of the Iraqi security forces was delivered by Typhoons on Thursday 13 June. A small group of Daesh terrorists had been tracked to an area of woodland some 27 miles south-west of Kirkuk. A single Paveway IV was released by our aircraft, and, despite the need to target them through the thick canopy of treetops, was reported to have successfully dealt with the terrorists.
Saturday 13 July 2019
An RAF Reaper conducted two attacks with Hellfire missiles on Daesh terrorists who had been identified some twenty five miles north east of Al Mayadin in eastern Syria.
Tuesday 16 July 2019
Two Typhoon FGR4s from RAF Akrotiri, supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, were directed to a remote area of the desert in western Iraq, some 55 miles south-west of Ramadi, where a terrorist stockpile of weapons had been identified, concealed in a depression. Our aircraft delivered an attack with a single Paveway IV guided bomb which scored a direct hit, destroying the stockpiled weaponry.
Wednesday 17 July 2019
A further such mission in support of the Iraqi security forces was flown the following day. A group of terrorists had been identified at a building in the Al Jazirah desert in north-western Iraq, and a Typhoon flight was tasked with their destruction. As ever, our aircraft conducted a careful check of the surrounding area for any civilians who might have been placed at risk, then struck the Daesh-held building with Paveway IVs.
Wednesday 14 August 2019
Iraqi security forces operating some seventy miles north of Baghdad requested air support in dealing with a cave and tunnel network that was occupied by Daesh terrorists. Two RAF Typhoons responded, and having confirmed that there were no civilians nearby who might have been placed at risk, conducted a successful attack on the caves with two Paveway IV guided bombs.
Friday 23 August 2019
An RAF Reaper patrolled over the western deserts of Iraq’s Anbar province, in support of operations by Iraqi security forces to prevent Daesh regaining a foothold in the area. Two armed terrorists had been identified by another coalition surveillance aircraft, and the Reaper found the pair at a hole dug in the desert floor, believed to be a weapons cache. A single Hellfire missile was fired by the Reaper’s crew, which struck the terrorists and the concealed weapons.
Monday 2 September 2019
Daesh had established a training camp in northern Iraq at a cluster of buildings in the desert, some 25 miles south-west of Ash Sharqat. Six specific targets amongst the buildings were identified, and two Typhoon FGR4s, armed with Paveway IV guided bombs, were duly dispatched from RAF Akrotiri. A coalition surveillance aircraft had kept a close watch on the site and confirmed that there was no sign of any civilians being present, whereupon all six targets were struck by the Typhoons.