News story

Update: air strikes against Daesh

The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

From:
Ministry of Defence and The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP
Published
29 January 2016
Last updated
2422 MarchDecember 20232022 — See all updates
A Royal Air Force Typhoon departs on a mission supporting Operation Shader in support of the Counter-Daesh operations in Iraq and Syria. Crown Copyright.

A Royal Air Force Typhoon departs on a mission supporting Operation Shader in support of the Counter-Daesh operations in Iraq and Syria. Crown Copyright.

Summary

  • Tuesday 20 December 2022 – a Reaper struck a Daesh target in northern Syria.

Detail

Royal Air Force aircraft have continued to conduct armed reconnaissance patrols against elements of the Daesh terrorist network in Syria, as well as supporting, as required, the Iraqi authorities’ efforts to keep Daesh out of their country.  On Tuesday 20 DecemberDecember, 2022, a Reaper remotely piloted aircraft kept close observation on a building near Al Bab in northern Syria where at least one active Daesh terrorist was known to be present.  Great care was taken to ensure that any potential risks to civilians were understood and minimised before the Reaper’s crew fired a salvo of two Hellfire missiles which both struck the target accurately.

Previous updates

  • Royal Air Force aircraft have continued to conduct armed reconnaissance patrols against Daesh terrorists.  On Monday 10 October, a Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, armed with Hellfire missiles, tracked and, when it was safe to do so without posing a risk to civilians, successfully engaged one such terrorist who was on a motorcycle in northern Syria, near Hamman At Turkumen.

  • Iraqi security forces identified a number of Daesh terrorists attempting to re-establish a presence in an area to the north of Tikrit. A Royal Air Force Reaper remotely piloted aircraft joined coalition aircraft in supporting the Iraqi operation by tracking the group on Tuesday 14 June, and at an appropriate opportunity, when the terrorists were exposed in the open away from any civilians, conducted a successful attack alongside the other coalition aircraft; the RAF Reaper employed Hellfire missiles. The group was reported to be destroyed as a result of this Iraqi-led operation, and the terrorists eliminated before they could mount an active threat to the Iraqi people.

  • Royal Air Force aircraft have continued to fly missions over Iraq and Syria in support of the global coalition against the Daesh terrorist movement. On 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.

Useful information

Access further information on the British forces air strikes in Iraq and Syria: monthly list.

Published 29 January 2016
Last updated 2422 MarchDecember 20232022 + show all updates

  1. Date of the most recent strike updated to clarify that it occurred in 2022. Previous strike updates removed and added to the guidance page "British forces air strikes in Iraq and Syria: monthly list".

  2. Updated with details of a strike on 20 December 2022.

  3. Update: RAF Reaper strike on Daesh terrorist in Iraq

  4. Update: RAF Reaper strike on Daesh terrorists in Iraq

  5. Updated strike statement

  6. Updated on Saturday 27 November.

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