Guidance

RAF air strikes in Iraq and Syria: August 2017

Updated 31 July 2024

Wednesday 2 August

Typhoons provided further close air support to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF); they found themselves coming under sustained heavy machine gun and sniper fire from a building in Raqqa, but were able to pinpoint the Daesh position, allowing our aircraft to attack with a Paveway IV.

Friday 4 August

An improvised ammunition factory had been identified in a large single storey building in Raqqa, and this was struck with 2 Paveway IVs from Typhoons. The Typhoons then conducted 2 further strikes with Paveways against sniper positions, while a second Typhoon flight dealt with a third sniper team.

Wednesday 9 August

A Typhoon flight saw action over Raqqa; the SDF reported coming under fire from a large building against which our aircraft conducted a successful attack using 2 Paveway IV guided bombs. The following day, a mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair operated over northern Iraq. A terrorist mortar team was identified near Tal Afar, and struck with a Paveway IV. In Raqqa, the SDF encountered a Daesh defensive position, but this was dealt with, again using a Paveway IV, by a second mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair.

Friday 11 August

A mixed pair continued to provide support to the SDF and destroyed a further defensive position in Raqqa with a Paveway.

Saturday 12 August

Typhoons maintained a presence over Raqqa over the weekend, destroying a Daesh headquarters building, then conducting attacks on Sunday which eliminated 3 more terrorist positions in the city, including a strong point adjacent to the now abandoned Daesh “Immigration Office”, and machine gun and mortar teams.

Monday 14 August

A flight Typhoons destroyed a Daesh position in Raqqa with Paveway IVs. A mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair also patrolled over the city and they conducted Paveway IV attacks, which destroyed a sniper team and 2 machine guns. The aircraft moved off towards the east of Syria, where a command post that was controlling truck bomb attacks had been identified 40 miles south of Al Hasakah. This was destroyed with a further Paveway.

Wednesday 16 August

Typhoons bombed another Daesh position in Raqqa, whilst Tornados struck a mortar near Kisik in northern Iraq.

Thursday 17 August

With the Iraqi forces advancing on Tal Afar, a mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair provided close air support. A coalition surveillance aircraft spotted a terrorist mortar, and was able to guide our aircraft into a successful attack with a Paveway IV. A second mixed pair maintained operations over Raqqa, and used Paveways to destroy one sniper and 2 machine gun teams.

Friday 18 August

Tornados were tasked with the destruction of a heavily booby-trapped building discovered in eastern Syria, south of Al Hasakah, which was too dangerous to approach. The building was destroyed with a Paveway which safely detonated the concealed explosives. Over Raqqa, a mixed pair of aircraft silenced a sniper firing on the SDF.

Saturday 19 August

A Typhoon flight faced a challenging target: a fast-moving truck carrying a group of terrorists across the desert in Iraq, west of Bayji. Despite the vehicle’s speed, a Paveway IV was guided accurately onto the target, destroying it. Tornados continued to provide close air support to the SDF in Raqqa, destroying a terrorist strong point.

Sunday 20 August

Typhoons bombed a further Daesh position in Raqqa. In eastern Syria, Tornados targeted a group of terrorists deployed near the border with Iraq; 2 Paveways hit their trucks and killed several of the extremists. Meanwhile, 2 mixed flights of Tornados and Typhoons assisted the Iraqi forces around Tall Afar; Paveway IVs destroyed 2 mortar and rocket teams, an anti-tank missile team, and a group armed with rocket propelled grenades, whilst a Brimstone missile accounted for a small group of terrorists caught manoeuvring in the open.

Monday 21 August

Two mixed pairs of Royal Air Force Typhoons and Tornados supported Iraqi forces fighting around Tal Afar in northern Iraq. East of the city, Brimstone missiles were used to destroy 2 pick up trucks carrying terrorists, while an attack with a Paveway IV guided bomb destroyed a car bomb to the south west.

Wednesday 23 August

A Typhoon flight used Paveway IVs to destroy 2 defensive positions in Raqqa, from which Daesh extremists were firing on the SDF. Tornados bombed 2 groups of terrorists spotted on foot to the north east of Tal Afar, while a mixed flight used a Brimstone to destroy an armed truck hidden under a building’s overhang on the western edge of the city.

Thursday 24 August

Typhoons and Tornados struck a further 4 positions in Raqqa with Paveways, including a sniper and a machine gun team. Typhoons and Tornados were also very busy around Tal Afar: Paveway IVs were used to target one large and 2 small buildings comprising a truck bomb factory, and 5 other positions from which terrorists armed with suicide vests, rocket propelled grenades, a mortar and a heavy machine gun were operating. In addition, 2 Brimstone missiles were fired successfully at a truck bomb, and a mechanical excavator used to construct defensive positions.

Friday 25 August

A mixed Typhoon and Tornado pair delivered 3 further Paveway attacks in Tal Afar, hitting 2 mortar teams and a Daesh held building. Over Raqqa, our aircraft continued to support the SDF, and used Paveway IVs against 2 sniper positions and another terrorist strong point.

Saturday 26 August

The focus for RAF missions remained on Raqqa over the weekend when a mixed flight bombed 4 snipper teams in Raqqa.

Sunday 27 August

On Sunday, 3 RAF flights used Paveway IVs to attack a total of 10 Daesh positions in the city.

Monday 28 August

Raqqa operations continued, when Typhoons hit 3 more terrorist held buildings. In Iraq, Iraqi forces engaged Daesh forces positioned several miles north of Tal Afar, and our aircraft provide close air support, conducting attacks on 10 buildings occupied by the extremists.

Wednesday 30 August

Three flights of RAF Tornados and Typhoons provided close air support to the fighting to liberate Raqqa from Daesh control. Five attacks were successfully conducted, which eliminated 3 sniper positions, a light machine gun team, and a group of extremists armed with rocket propelled grenades. Each of the attacks required careful planning and execution by our aircrew, given the proximity of the SDF to the desired targets