November 4th 2014: Today has seen further action from Royal Air Force aircraft as they continue to assist the Iraqi Government in their fight against ISIL.

Two Tornado GR4s, flying in support of Iraqi army units in the area surrounding Bayji north of Baghdad, used a Brimstone precision guided missile to successfully destroy an ISIL armed pick-up truck.

On the 2nd of November, on Sunday, CF-18 Hornets conducted Canada’s first combat air strike on ISIL targets. The four targets were located near a dam west of Fallujah and consisted of heavy engineering equipment and vehicles. They were being used to divert water from the Euphrates River to create flooding and displace the population in Anbar province while also denying water to other populations downstream. By flooding certain areas, ISIL forced civilians and Iraqi security force members to use specific roads where they had placed improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. Additionally, the heavy engineering vehicles were being used to develop and enhance their defensive positions, which would have made future clearing operations for the Iraqi security forces more difficult.

You’ll see in the image behind me, ISIL was using the heavy engineering equipment to interfere with the flow of the dam. Our forces worked with the Combined Air Operations Centre, the CAOC, and coalition targeting assets during the approximate four-hour flight. Five-hundred pound laser-guided bombs destroyed and damaged the heavy engineering equipment and vehicles identified and removed them from further employment. The destruction of ISIL’s equipment in this case means that they will not be able to use the Euphrates River against the population in Anbar province. The attacks also assured the removal of heavy equipment necessary to develop those defensive positions I told you about.”

Nederlandse F-16’s voerden 16 missies uit boven Irak en bombardeerden doelen van terreurorganisatie ISIS. Ook namen de vliegtuigen doelen onder vuur met het boordkanon. Een overzicht van Defensie-operaties in de week van 27 oktober tot en met 2 november.

De jachtvliegtuigen schakelden tijdens deze missies verschillende doelen uit, waaronder materieelcomplexen, voertuigen en strijders van ISIS.

November 3rd: U.S. and partner nation military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria Sunday and today using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct five airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted nine airstrikes in Iraq Sunday and today using fighter, bomber and remotely-piloted aircraft against ISIL terrorists.

In Syria, four airstrikes conducted near Kobani that struck an ISIL fighting position, a small ISIL unit and destroyed two buildings.

One airstrike near Dayr Az Zawr damaged an ISIL building.

In Iraq, two airstrikes near Bayji struck an ISIL fighting position, a small ISIL unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle [British].

Near Fallujah, four airstrikes [1 Canada] struck a large ISIL unit and destroyed five ISIL bulldozers and one ISIL dump truck involved in creating obstructions and berms.

Three airstrikes near Ar Rutbah damaged one ISIL vehicle and destroyed four ISIL vehicles.

November 2nd: U.S. military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria Saturday and today using attack, fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct seven airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted two airstrikes in Iraq Saturday and today using fighter and remotely-piloted aircraft against ISIL terrorists.

In Syria, five airstrikes conducted near Kobani struck five small ISIL units and destroyed three ISIL vehicles.

Southeast of Dayr Az Zawr, Syria, two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL tank and two vehicle shelters.

In Iraq, one airstrike near Bayji struck a small ISIL unit.

Southeast of Fallujah, Iraq, coalition aircraft also struck a small ISIL unit

November 2nd 2014: The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls and Minister of National Defence, issued the following statement: “Today, Canada’s CF-18s conducted their first combat strike since joining the fight against ISIL on October 30. Coordinated with our coalition partners, two CF-18s attacked ISIL targets with GBU12 500 lb laser guided bombs in the vicinity of Fallujah, Iraq.

The approximately four hour mission included air-to-air refueling from Canada’s Polaris aircraft. All aircraft returned safely to their base.”

November 1st 2014: U.S. military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria Friday and today using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct five airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted five airstrikes in Iraq Friday and today using attack, bomber and fighter aircraft against ISIL terrorists.

In Syria, five airstrikes conducted near Kobani suppressed or destroyed nine ISIL fighting positions and struck one ISIL building.

In Iraq, one airstrike southwest of the Mosul Dam destroyed one ISIL vehicle.

Four airstrikes near Al Qaim, Iraq, [one British] heavily damaged or destroyed four ISIL vehicles and struck four ISIL buildings.

Over the weekend [November 1st 2014], 2 Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s were tasked to investigate ISIL activity near the scene of an earlier successful coalition air strike at Al Qaim, north-west of Baghdad.

The aircraft, as part of the international coalition supporting the Iraqi government, identified and destroyed an ISIL armed vehicle using a single Brimstone missile.