RAF air strikes in Iraq and Syria: January to December 2021
Updated 24 March 2023
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Sunday 24 January 2021
A coalition surveillance aircraft located a number of Daesh based in a pair of caves some ten miles north of Bayji, and 2 Typhoon FGR4s were tasked to deal with them. Our aircraft conducted a careful check of the area around the caves, which were a mile and a half apart, for any signs of civilians who might be placed at risk, before conducting simultaneous attacks, using 2 Paveway IV guided bombs against each group. All four of the bombs struck their targets accurately and the strike was assessed to have been a success in eliminating the terrorist threat.
Thursday 11 February 2021
Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s were tasked against a number of terrorists who had been spotted in 2 dispersed encampments on the banks of the Tharthar river, to the west of Bayji. A check of the area revealed no signs of any civilians who might be placed at risk, so our aircraft proceeded to conduct strikes using Paveway IV guided bombs against a series of different targets within the encampments. Surveillance of the sites confirmed that the mission had been a success.
Wednesday 10 March 2021
Iraqi forces identified a significant number of Daesh terrorists using a cave complex south-west of Erbil. The caves which the terrorists used were assessed to be particularly difficult targets, and 2 RAF Typhoon FGR4s were therefore tasked to conduct an attack in support of the Iraqi forces using Storm Shadow missiles, selected as the most appropriate weapons for the task. A preceding check of the area confirmed that there were no signs of civilians in the area who might be placed at risk. Following the mission, the Typhoon’s weapons were confirmed to have struck their targets precisely.
Thursday 11 March 2021
Further surveillance efforts confirmed an additional 2 locations south-west of Erbil which were being used by Daesh. 2 Typhoons therefore conducted precision attacks on the extremists at both locations using six Paveway IV guided bombs.
Friday 12 March 2021
RAF Typhoons struck another group of caves south-west of Erbil used by Daesh, with eight Paveway IV bombs.
Sunday 14 March 2021
Six Paveway IVs were employed by Typhoons against Daesh-held caves in the same mountainous area south-west of Erbil .
Wednesday 17 March 2021
Typhoons destroyed 2 more Daesh-held caves in the mountains south-west of Erbil with Paveway IV bombs.
Monday 22 March 2021
Daesh extremists were confirmed to be based in a network of caves in the Makhmur mountains, south-west of Erbil, where the RAF has been actively assisting the Iraqi ground operations since 10 March. Since the caves were assessed to be a particularly challenging target, three Typhoon FGR4s were tasked to conduct an attack using Storm Shadow missiles, the remote area having first been checked to ensure that no civilians would be placed at risk. The strike on the Daesh targets there was assessed by subsequent surveillance to have been a success.
Sunday 4 April 2021
An RAF Reaper, armed with Hellfire missiles, identified a small group of Daesh terrorists in northern Syria, some fifty miles west of Al Hasakah. Having checked that there were no civilians nearby, the Reaper’s crew attacked the terrorists, striking the target successfully.
Tuesday 11 May 2021
Iraqi security forces encountered a group of Daesh terrorists in a strong defensive position some twenty five miles south west of Mosul. Coming under heavy small arms fire from the terrorists, the Iraqi troops requested air support from the global coalition, and a pair of Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s responded promptly. Liaising closely with the Iraqis, our aircraft attacked with 2 Paveway IV precision guided bombs. These hit the target accurately and eliminated a number of the Daesh extremists. The Iraqi forces were then able to assault the position successfully and overwhelm the few remaining terrorists.
Monday 6 September 2021
Ground forces conducting security operations some thirty miles south of Erbil came under fire from a Daesh position in an area of heavy vegetation. 2 RAF Typhoon FGR4s responded to the call for assistance, and, working closely with the forces on the ground to ensure no risks were posed to either them or any civilians, used a single Paveway IV guided bomb to eliminate successfully the threat posed to them.
Monday 25 October 2021
The crew of a remotely piloted Reaper, armed with Hellfire missiles, tracked a known terrorist in northern Syria, near the city of Ras al Ayn, and at a safe moment, when the individual was alone in a field, carried out a successful attack.
Tuesday 14 December 2021
Hostile drone activity was detected around the At Tanf coalition base in Syria. A pair of Typhoon FGR4s from Royal Air Force Akrotiri were conducting one of their regular patrols over Syria and Iraq as part of the global coalition against Daesh, and were tasked to investigate. On arrival in the At Tanf area, the pilots were able to identify a small hostile drone, and despite the diminutive size of the target, succeeded in conducting an air to air engagement with an ASRAAM (Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missile) which eliminated the threat it posed to coalition forces.