Guidance

RAF air strikes in Iraq and Syria: July 2018

Updated 31 July 2024

Thursday 5 July

A Royal Air Force Reaper conducted an armed reconnaissance mission over the eastern borders of Syria. A number of vehicles were seen and, after careful surveillance, identified as a refugee convoy. However, further down the road, a Daesh team was observed burying improvised explosive devices; given the threat these could pose to innocent traffic, an immediate attack was conducted using a Hellfire missile which put an end to the terrorists’ activities.

Saturday 9 July

Typhoon FGR4s flew to northern Iraq, where a terrorist hide had been spotted, concealed in woodland on the bank of the Tigris to the north-west of Mosul. A single Paveway IV destroyed the site.

Sunday 10 July

The crew of an RAF Reaper tracked Daesh terrorists in vehicle north of Abu Kamal in eastern Syria, and conducted a successful attack using a pair of Hellfire missiles.

Monday 11 July

An RAF Reaper used a Hellfire missile to attack a Daesh terrorist riding a motorcycle at high speed north of Abu Kamal.

Tuesday 17 July

A sizeable group of Daesh extremists were identified occupying a building north of Abu Kamal. A single Hellfire missile was employed by the crew of a Reaper to eliminate the threat they posed.

Wednesday 18 July

A cave in eastern Syria was confirmed as the location of a stockpile of terrorist weaponry, so a Reaper employed a GBU-12 guided bomb to deny Daesh access. The weapon scored a direct hit on the cave entrance and it was successfully collapsed.