Guidance

RAF air strikes in Iraq and Syria: May 2017

Updated 31 July 2024

1. Wednesday 3 May

With Iraqi forces continuing their operations to clear Daesh from areas of western Mosul which they still occupy, 2 flights of Royal Air Force Tornados provided close air support. Direct hits were scored with Brimstone missiles on 2 rooftop firing positions. A third terrorist position was also struck with a Paveway IV guided bomb in an attack carefully planned to minimise the potential risk to the Iraqi troops who were very close by.

2. Thursday 4 May

A Tornado flight used a Paveway IV to destroy a command post some 15 miles west of Kirkuk. Meanwhile a second Tornado mission attacked a truck-bomb factory at the north-western edge of Mosul. Four Paveway IVs struck one large and 2 smaller buildings.

3. Saturday 6 May

Typhoons supported the Syrian Democratic Forces to the west of Raqqa, delivering a successful Paveway attack on a building defended by a number of Daesh fighters.

4. Sunday 7 May

Tornados were again in action over Mosul, when they used a Brimstone missile to engage a Daesh firing point.

5. Monday 8 May

Two Typhoons joined other Coalition aircraft in a strike mission, against a Daesh truck-bomb factory in western Iraq, north-west of Ar Rutbah. Our aircraft targeted 5 buildings within the complex, which were all destroyed or severely damaged. The same day, 2 flights of Tornados continued their operations over Mosul. One pair conducted a series of attacks to support the Iraqi infantry, hitting Daesh fighters firing from rooftops and within buildings, and demolishing a local Daesh headquarters. The second pair of Tornados used Paveway IVs to cut the road network at three key choke points to prevent Daesh moving vehicles, particularly truck bombs, towards districts liberated by the Iraqis.

6. Tuesday 9 May

An RAF Reaper remotely piloted aircraft observed a group of Daesh fighters in Abu Kamal, eastern Syria, mustering a large crowd of civilians in one of the town’s main streets. When a van then unloaded 2 shackled prisoners in front of the crowd, it became clear that Daesh were organising a public execution. Given the large number of civilians present, the Reaper’s crew could not target directly the Daesh fighters about to carry out the murders. However, 2 armed extremists were stationed as sentries on the roof of a building overlooking the scene. A Hellfire missile was fired immediately, and scored a direct hit which not only killed one of the sentries but also brought the execution to an immediate halt, as the Daesh fighters fled the scene, and the crowd of civilians dispersed.

7. Wednesday 10 May

Typhoons also patrolled over Syria, and successfully struck a Daesh mortar team that was firing on Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) some five miles north of Raqqa. Tornados also operated over western Mosul, where they used a Brimstone missile to silence a sniper team which had opened fire on Iraqi troops, and used a Paveway IV against a Daesh-held building.

8. Thursday 11 May

A pair of Typhoons, armed with Paveway IVs, destroyed a truck-bomb staging area some 15 miles north-west of Raqqa, while another pair supported the SDF in eastern Syria, hitting a mortar team and 2 Daesh held buildings near Al Ulwah. The same day, 2 flights of Tornados patrolled over Mosul, using Brimstone missiles against 2 Daesh positions very close to Iraqi troops. A further Paveway IV eliminated a mortar in a courtyard, and 3 more Paveways cratered roads along which Daesh might have tried to move truck bombs along.

9. Friday 12 May

Tornados cut 3 more key routes in Mosul, as well as conducting a Brimstone attack on a Daesh position in the city.

10. Saturday 13 May

Similar operations continued. Tornados cut yet another part of the road network, and struck 2 sniper positions in Mosul, before one pair headed west to Bulayj to destroy an armed truck.

11. Sunday 14 May

Both Typhoons and Tornados hit targets in Mosul. The Tornados cratered a further key choke point on the roads, while the Typhoons delivered attacks on a mortar team, 2 heavy machine gun positions and a Daesh held building.

12. Monday 15 May

Three flights of Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 and Typhoon FGR4 aircraft operated over western Mosul. As well as conducting tactical reconnaissance, our aircraft also provided support to Iraqi troops engaged in very close combat with Daesh extremists. Three Brimstone missiles were used in very precise attacks on terrorist firing points, including a medium machine gun position, while Paveway IV guided bombs struck another machine gun team, demolished 4 Daesh-held buildings, and cratered a road to prevent terrorist movements along it.

13. Wednesday 17 May

Two Typhoons assisted the Syrian Democratic Forces. Their first attack was on a mortar which a coalition surveillance aircraft had spotted north-west of Raqqa. Having eliminated that threat, the Typhoons then headed to the east of the country, where they bombed 2 buildings near Al Ulwah which were being used by another Daesh mortar team and their spotters. A Tornado flight meanwhile patrolled over Mosul, where they used a Brimstone missile to strike a terrorist position. Another Tornado flight later struck a Daesh tank loaded on the back of a heavy transport vehicle in north west Iraq, hitting it with a Brimstone.

14. Thursday 18 May

Both Typhoon and Tornado flights operated over Mosul, and between them conducted 3 attacks, successfully using Paveway IVs and a Brimstone to target terrorist positions.

15. Friday 19 May

Tornados provided further support to the Iraqi ground forces, despite very challenging conditions as a dust storm raged. Again, a mixture of Brimstones and Paveway IVs were used to engage 7 Daesh positions within the city, including a sniper team and a mortar, despite the Iraqi forces being extremely close to the targets on occasion. In Syria, Typhoons supported the SDF and bombed a group of terrorists caught in the open a few miles to the east of Raqqa.

16. Saturday 20 May

Typhoons maintained operations over Syria, where they conducted a further attack on a Daesh held building near Al Ulwah. In Mosul, 2 more terrorist positions were bombed by Tornados.

17. Sunday 21 May

Tornados hit a further pair of targets in Mosul, eliminating a sniper and a heavy machine gun team. On the eastern outskirts of Raqqah, Typhoons destroyed a weapons stockpile.

18. Monday 22 May

Royal Air Force aircraft have continued to provide close air support to the Syrian Democratic Forces, and to Iraqi troops fighting to liberate the remaining areas of west Mosul held by Daesh. Typhoon FGR4s assisted SDF engaged in close combat with a group of terrorists defending a large building some 8 miles south-east of Raqqa; 2 Paveway IV guided bombs struck the building and eliminated the threat successfully. Tornado GR4s patrolled over Mosul, where they also used Paveway IVs to deal with 2 Daesh positions which the Iraqi forces encountered.

19. Wednesday 24 May

A Reaper, conducting surveillance south-west of Raqqa, kept watch on a small group of terrorists and was able to conduct a successful attack with a Hellfire missile. In Mosul, when advancing Iraqi security forces found themselves facing 2 buildings defended by a Daesh heavy machine gun, a sniper team and at least one individual in a suicide bomb vest, they called for assistance from a flight of Tornados. Our aircraft delivered a very precise simultaneous attack with 2 Paveway IVs which destroyed both terrorist strongpoints. The Tornados then hit a third terrorist position, again with a Paveway, whilst a second flight bombed a fourth position.

20. Thursday 25 May

Intelligence confirmed that Daesh were using a small radio relay station east of Palmyra to spread their propaganda. A pair of Typhoons attacked the site and successfully put it out of action with Paveway IVs. Further north in Syria, a Reaper used a Hellfire missile to destroy an armoured personnel carrier near Tabqah, to the west of Raqqa. Two flights of Tornados patrolled over Mosul, where they conducted Paveway IV attacks on 2 medium machine gun positions and 3 other Daesh held buildings, whilst a mixed Tornado/Typhoon pair used a Brimstone missile to destroy an armoured truck some 30 miles north-west of Bayji.

21. Friday 26 May

Tornados used 2 Paveways to crater roads in west Mosul to hamper any attempt by Daesh to move truck bombs against the latest Iraqi advance.

22. Saturday 27 May

Tornados and Typhoons continued operations over Mosul; a Paveway IV eliminated a Daesh light machine gun team, whilst a truck bomb was destroyed with a Brimstone missile.

23. Sunday 28 May

Brimstone armed Tornados successfully attacked 3 terrorist positions in Mosul, whilst a Paveway IV from a Typhoon accounted for a fourth.

24. Monday 29 May

Mixed pairs of Tornados and Typhoons struck 4 Daesh positions in Mosul, including 2 defended with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, as well as demolishing a large road block built by the terrorists.

25. Wednesday 31 May

Typhoon FGR4s, armed with Paveway IV guided bombs, demolished a terrorist-held building to the west of Raqqa, whilst mixed formations of Tornado GR4s and Typhoons patrolled over Mosul, where they used 2 Brimstone missiles to engage Daesh positions which Iraqi security forces had encountered. The following day, 3 flights of Tornados and Typhoons struck a total of 9 targets inside west Mosul; Brimstone missiles dealt with a heavy machine gun and a mortar, whilst Paveway IVs silenced another mortar and hit 5 machine-gun positions and a sniper team.