On 17 Jun, Australian F/A-18 Hornets supported Iraqi forces during operations in Mosul. The Australian aircraft struck two Daesh fighting positions with guided munitions over several hours of support.

On June 17, Coalition military forces conducted 25 strikes consisting of 46 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 15 strikes consisting of 18 engagements against ISIS targets.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike destroyed an ISIS well head.

* Near Palmyra, two strikes destroyed six oil tanks and two tanks.

* Near Raqqah, 12 strikes engaged [1 British?] 11 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 12 fighting positions, two tunnels and a VBIED.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes consisting of 28 engagements against ISIS targets.

* Near Al Qaim, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed 18 ISIS storage tanks, two vehicles and a front-end loader.

* Near Kisik, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle and a tactical vehicle.

* Near Mosul, three strikes [1 British] engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, a supply cache and an artillery system.

* Near Rawah, two strikes destroyed an ISIS bridge and a VBIED.

Additionally, 11 strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on June 15-16 that closed within the last 24 hours.

* On June 15, near Raqqah, Syria, one strike destroyed six fighting positions, five ISIS staging areas, two command and control nodes, an ISIS headquarters, and a supply cache, and damaged 10 fighting positions and two VBIED facilities.

* One June 16, near Raqqah, Syria, eight strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed four fighting positions, two ISIS headquarters, two VBIED facilities, and two VBIEDs; and suppressed a sniper team.

* On June 16, near Mosul, Iraq, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units, destroyed a rocket-propelled grenade system and a medium machine gun, and damaged two ISIS supply routes and a fighting position.

Saturday 17 June – Tornados and Typhoons struck a Daesh-held building in Raqqa and six terrorist targets in Mosul…On Saturday 17 June, Tornados and Typhoons suppressed a Daesh position in Raqqa, and struck six more positions in Mosul, again using a Brimstone and Paveway IV mix to deal with snipers and a machine-gun team.

On June 16, Coalition military forces conducted 43 strikes consisting of 83 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 33 strikes consisting of 44 engagements against ISIS targets.

* Near Abu Kamal, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three ISIS oil tanks and two ISIS oil trucks.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes destroyed seven ISIS oil trucks, four ISIS oil tanks, a front-end loader, an ISIS oil pump and an ISIS well head.

* Near Raqqah, 25 strikes [2 British] engaged 21 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 34 fighting positions, three tunnels, three mortar systems, two vehicles and a VBIED facility.

In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes consisting of 39 engagements against ISIS targets.

* Near Kisik, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a mortar team.

* Near Mosul, three strikes [1 Australian] engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed 15 fighting positions, two supply caches, a mortar team, and a VBIED; damaged seven fighting positions; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

* Near Rawah, two strikes destroyed an ISIS fuel point, an ISIS staging area, and a VBIED facility.

* Near Samarra, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle and a command and control node.

* Near Tal Afar, two strikes destroyed an ISIS staging area and a tactical vehicle.

Additionally, seven strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on June 15 that closed within the last 24 hours.

* On June 15, near Raqqah, Syria, six strikes destroyed eight fighting positions, an ISIS headquarters, and a tunnel, and suppressed two snipers.

* On June 15, near Mosul, Iraq, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and a sniper, destroyed three vehicles, and damaged five ISIS supply routes.

On 16 Jun, Australian F/A-18 Hornets supported Iraqi forces during operations in Mosul. The Australian aircraft struck five Daesh fighting positions with guided munitions over several hours of support.

Friday 16 June – Typhoons bombed two Daesh positions in Raqqa, while Tornados and Typhoons attacked five positions in Mosul…Typhoons were again in action over Raqqa on Friday 16 June, when they bombed two further Daesh positions. Typhoons and Tornados, flying as mixed pairs, employed one Brimstone missile and four Paveway IVs to eliminate two machine-gun teams and three other Daesh strongpoints.

De Ministerraad heeft op voordracht van de Minister van Defensie, Steven Vandeput, beslist om de Belgische inzet in de strijd tegen IS te verlengen in 2017.

Ons land heeft een akkoord met Nederland om jaarlijks te roteren in de strijd tegen DAESH. De periode waarin de Belgen vliegen eindigde normaal op 1 juli 2017. Nederland heeft echter beslist dat ze om operationeel-technische redenen niet kunnen vliegen in de tweede helft van dit jaar. De Internationale coalitie heeft daarom aan België gevraagd om ook na 1 juli te blijven vliegen.

België zal van 1 juli tot 31 december 4 F-16’s inzetten, ondersteund door 110 militairen (waarvan een twintigtal tijdelijk). Een Red Card Holder Team bestaande uit 4 personen zal opereren vanuit Qatar.

De opdrachten die onze vliegtuigen kunnen uitvoeren voor de Coalitie blijven onveranderd. Enkel het aantal vlieguren daalt van 400 naar 250 per maand.

De Force Protection wordt verzekerd door Nederland tot het einde van het jaar. Ter herinnering, het rotatieschema met Nederland bestaat sinds 2015: als onze F-16’s vliegen, beschermen de Nederlandse troepen ons detachement. Als de Nederlandse F-16’s vliegen, beschermen de Belgen het Nederlandse detachement.

De kostprijs van de verlenging van deze operatie bedraagt 17 miljoen euro.