Monday 22 January – a Reaper conducted three attacks on terrorists…

The fight to defeat Daesh is far from over, the Defence Secretary warned today in Rome as he met with counterparts at the Counter Deash Ministerial to review the success of the campaign, reaffirm the UK’s commitment to defeat Daesh, and discuss the future role of the Global Coalition.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

“The UK will not be complacent when it comes to terrorism – a point I reaffirmed with my Global Coalition counterparts today. We pledged to continue to fight terrorists until their poisonous global network is totally destroyed. Despite Daesh’s diminishing territory, it is hell-bent on directing and inspiring terrorist attacks worldwide – threatening our security at home and abroad. The threat they pose is evolving and intensifying but our resolve to defeat them will not fade.”

As demonstration of this, the RAF have struck 22 times in the past three weeks, destroying Daesh drone operators, terrorist compounds, observation points, heavy machine-gun teams and pockets of fighters engaged in close quarter, street fighting with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

As the SDF drive the final pockets of Daesh fighters from Syria, RAF fast jets and remotely piloted Reaper aircraft provided close air support. On 22 January, a Reaper conducted three attacks against Daesh extremists fighting on foot and holding a building north of Abu Kamal.

Sunday 21 January – a Reaper attacked three terrorist targets in eastern Syria, including a group of extremists spotted setting up a potential ambush position…On Sunday 21 January, a Reaper identified a group of extremists setting up a probable ambush position in and around a small building in the Euphrates valley. A Hellfire missile scored a direct hit, killing the terrorists and causing a large secondary explosion, likely from weapons concealed inside the building. The Reaper then conducted a further two Hellfire attacks on terrorist positions, and supported a successful coalition air strike.