Guidance

RAF air strikes in Iraq and Syria: January to December 2020

Updated 16 December 2024

Friday 10 April 2020

A patrol by a pair of Typhoon FGR4s, supported by an RAF Voyager refuelling tanker, was requested to assist a counter-terrorism operation by the Iraqi security forces in northern Iraq. Our aircraft used six Paveway IV precision guided bombs to strike a group of bunkers, located some twelve miles west of Tuz Khurma, which a group of Daesh had been identified as occupying. All six bombs struck their targets successfully. An RAF Reaper provided surveillance support to the Typhoons, and conducted an attack on Daesh in the same location, using its own GBU-12 guided bomb.

Tuesday 28 April 2020

A pair of Typhoon FGR4s, operating out of RAF Akrotiri and supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, were tasked to join other coalition aircraft in an attack on a set of caves some thirteen miles north-east of Bayji in Iraq, where intelligence had confirmed a Daesh group to be based. The RAF Typhoons took as their targets six cave entrances which had been identified in a ridge above the Tigris. Following the normal careful check of the surrounding area for any signs of civilians who might be placed in any risk, our aircraft conducted a simultaneous attack with Paveway IV guided bombs on all six of the caves. All the weapons struck their targets successfully.

Friday 8 May 2020

A Royal Air Force Reaper kept close watch on a bunker some 15 miles west of Tuz Khurmatu in northern Iraq, where a small group of Daesh extremists were known to be present. Once the Reaper’s crew had identified the best moment for a strike, the bunker was destroyed using a GBU-12 guided bomb.

Wednesday 13 May 2020

2 Reapers used GBU-12s to destroy a pair of Daesh-occupied bunkers west of Tuz Khurmatu.

Saturday 23 May 2020

A group of Daesh fighters were located hiding in woods, along with stored equipment. A patrolling Reaper dropped one GBU-12, which hit its targets and caused secondary explosions, indicating the likely presence of a significant stockpile of munitions.

Sunday 31 May 2020

A Royal Air Force remotely piloted Reaper investigated a location in northern Iraq, some seventeen miles west of Tuz Khurmatu, where a Daesh group had been identified as having established themselves at a bunker situated in the mountains. The Reaper’s crew conducted a thorough check of the area, finding no signs of any civilians nearby, but confirming the presence of several terrorists close to the bunker itself, concealing themselves in heavy foliage. The Reaper therefore conducted 2 attacks in succession, destroying the bunker with a GBU-12 guided bomb, then hitting those terrorists who were outside the bunker with a Hellfire missile.

Wednesday 3 June 2020

A pair of Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, joined other coalition aircraft in an operation against Daesh positions which had been identified on a mountainous ridge some thirty-five miles north-west of Kirkuk. Having confirmed that there were no signs of civilians in the area, the Typhoons provided surveillance support to a strike by coalition jets, and were then allocated a cave, occupied by Daesh, as their own target. This position was struck with a single Paveway IV guided bomb, and Iraqi ground forces subsequently confirmed the attack to have been a success.

Monday 22 June 2020

A further group of caves, situated thirty miles north-west of Tikrit, were confirmed as being used by Daesh both as accommodation and storage for improvised explosive devices. 2 Typhoons were accordingly tasked to attack the terrorist position on Monday 22 June. Having checked the area for any civilians who might be at risk, four Paveway IVs were successfully used to strike four carefully selected targets within the cave network.

Wednesday 24 June 2020

Intensive coalition surveillance efforts were able to confirm that another group of Daesh terrorists had established themselves in a cave network in the Makhmur mountains of northern Iraq. RAF Typhoons were therefore tasked with the destruction of this terrorist base on Wednesday 24 June. After the usual precautionary check of the area for civilians, our aircraft attacked with four Paveway IVs, all of which struck their targets successfully.

Thursday 20 August 2020

Intelligence analysis confirmed that a local Daesh leadership group had established itself in a cave network some 85 miles west of Kirkuk in northern Iraq. An RAF Reaper kept a close watch on the location in the early hours of Thursday 20 August. When terrorists were identified at the cave entrance, the Reaper’s crew conducted an attack with a single Hellfire missile, having first swept the area for any signs of civilians who might be placed at risk. The missile struck the target accurately, and the blast was observed to emerge from another part of the cave network, indicating that weapon’s effect had reached deep inside the caves.

Wednesday 26 August 2020

An RAF Reaper maintained surveillance on another set of caves in the area on Wednesday 26 August - the presence of a number of Daesh extremists at the site had been confirmed. When terrorists were observed at the mouth of one of the caves, the Reaper’s crew engaged successfully with a Hellfire missile, then provided surveillance support to a follow-up attack by 2 coalition fast jets which struck the rest of the Daesh position.

Tuesday 6 October 2020

A small group of Daesh extremists attacked Iraqi security forces in the desert of Anbar province, west of Baghdad. A coalition air strike provided immediate support to the Iraqi troops, and succeeded in destroying half the attacking Daesh group. An RAF Reaper was then tasked to deal with the remaining terrorists. The crew of the Reaper successfully located them, and at an appropriate moment, with no sign of a strike posing any risks to friendly forces or any civilians, conducted a carefully planned attack with a GBU-12 guided bomb. The Iraqi forces subsequently reported that the threat had been eliminated.