On Sept. 27, coalition military forces conducted 22 strikes against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes using attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:



Syria

* Near Al Shadaddi, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two vehicles.

* Near Ar Raqqah, one strike destroyed an ISIL pump jack.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed 12 oil tanker trucks, two oil well heads, and disabled a bridge along an ISIL supply route.

* Near Manbij, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed five fighting positions.

* Near Mar’a, five strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed five fighting positions and a mortar system.

Iraq

* Near Al Qaim, one strike destroyed an ISIL VBIED facility.

* Near Kisik, one strike produced inconclusive results.

* Near Mosul, four strikes [1 British] engaged an ISIL tactical unit, suppressed a mortar system, and destroyed an anti-air artillery system and a tunnel.

* Near Qayyarah, two strikes [1 British] destroyed two ISIL vehicles and a mortar system.

* Near Ramadi, one strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system and damaged an excavator.

Tuesday 27 September – Typhoons hit one mortar team near Qayyarah, and a second mortar team and an artillery piece to the north of Mosul…Two flights of Paveway IV-armed Typhoons continued operations in northern Iraq on Tuesday 27 September. They conducted successful strikes on a mortar team near Qayyarah, plus a second mortar and an artillery piece to the north of Mosul.

“Tijdens operatie Desert Falcon is niemand overbodig”

Eind juni 2016 vloog Defensie zes van zijn F-16’s over naar het Midden-Oosten voor de strijd tegen DAESH. Elke dag filtert een ervaren F-16-piloot in het hoofdkwartier de ene opdracht na de andere voor de Belgen. De operatie is intens en vraagt veel van mens en machine. “Met 99 zijn we in totaal”, zegt de detachementscommandant. “Maar geen man is hier overbodig.”

Nog voor de zon een nieuwe dag aankondigt, zijn de onderhoudstechnici druk in de weer in en rond een F-16. Ze hebben de zware motor uit het toestel getrokken voor controle. “Om de 200 vlieguren kijken we de motor na op de kleinste mankementen”, vertelt de militair die de laatste inspectie voltooid vooraleer de techniekers de motor weer in het toestel duwen. “Het is een belangrijk werk want het vele stof hier tast de mechaniek aan. Daarom moeten we elke opening hermetisch afsluiten tegen opwaaiend zand maar ook ongedierte.”

Naast de onderhoudstechnici zijn er militairen die de piloot bijstaan met de communicatie, het gevechtsvliegtuig helpen opstarten of de bewapening voorbereiden en monteren. Haast elk gevechtsvliegtuig dat vertrekt heeft twee explosieven onderaan zijn vleugels hangen om indien nodig de grondtroepen te steunen. Ze wegen tot één ton en eens geplaatst moeten de technici er heel omzichtig mee omgaan. Daarom verwijderen ze de veiligheidspinnen slechts enkele minuten voor het vertrek.

Nog een belangrijke pion tijdens de operatie Desert Falcon is de zogenaamde red card holder. Dat is een oudere F-16-piloot met jaren ervaring achter de kiezen. Samen met een juridische raadgever doorspit hij elke opdracht van de Belgen. Komt de missie overeen met het mandaat dat Defensie van de regering kreeg? Respecteert de opdracht de wetten bij gewapende conflicten?

“Het is cruciaal dat elke opdracht zonder onschuldige slachtoffers verloopt”, besluit de detachementscommandant. “Collaterale schade is een term die niet in ons woordenboek staat. We willen te allen prijze vermijden dat er door ons toedoen burgerslachtoffers vallen. Die rode kaart van de ervaren F-16-piloot mag je dus erg letterlijk nemen.”

Monday 26 September – Tornados destroyed two Daesh vehicles in the Qayyarah region, a Reaper destroyed another vehicle near Sharqat, and Typhoons bombed a terrorist position east of Mosul…The following day [Sept 26th], Tornados used an Enhanced Paveway II guided bomb against a truck-bomb near Qayyarah and a Brimstone missile to destroy a light truck in the same area. Further south in the valley, near Sharqat, a Reaper destroyed another Daesh vehicle and then supported a coalition attack on an additional truck-bomb. Meanwhile, Typhoons operated to the east of Mosul, where a Paveway IV was used against a Daesh-held building. From Belgium MoD on Sept 26th:

[Belgium publish article on their F-16s deployed in the Middle East. They say that there are six Belgium F-16s and “almost everyday there’s one or more in the sky for a reconnaissance flight”. “The Americans perform most commands” adds the detachment commander”.] Vliegwerk in hitte, zand en wind

wee F-16-gevechtsvliegtuigen staan op 22 september met ronkende motoren klaar op het tarmac van een vliegbasis in het Midden-Oosten. De basis bestaat uit niet meer dan enkele landingsstroken en gebouwen in een dor, uitgestrekt woestijnlandschap. Toch is deze desolate plek de thuisbasis van waaruit Defensie deelneemt aan de strijd tegen DAESH onder de naam operatie Desert Falcon.”Welkom in Snow City”, zegt de detachementscommandant terwijl we de Belgische compound binnenrijden. “De naam is slechts figuurlijk, geïnspireerd door de vele witte stenen her en der, want koud is het hier allerminst.” De wind is vandaag feller en venijniger dan anders. Het stof waait aanhoudend op en hier en daar vormt zich een kleine zandhoos. Het kamp van de Belgen is echter goed beschut tegen al die natuurkrachten.In totaal verblijven bijna honderd Belgen in de compound. Ze werken er allemaal in het teken van de missies van de F-16’s en hun piloten. Bijna elke dag gaan er een of meerdere toestellen de lucht in voor een verkenningsvlucht bijvoorbeeld. Naast de Belgen biedt het kamp ook plaats aan een Nederlands detachement. Zij verzorgen onder andere de troepenbescherming aan de poorten van Snow City.Het Belgische detachement steunt de internationale coalitie, die onder Amerikaans bevel valt. De Belgen hebben zes F-16’s laten overvliegen, terwijl de Verenigde Staten kan rekenen op het dubbele aantal. “De Amerikanen voeren de meeste opdrachten uit”, gaat de detachementscommandant verder.Het Belgische detachement wisselde eind augustus zijn voorgangers af. Nog tot de lente van 2017 zullen Belgische F-16’s opdrachten uitvoeren in het Midden-Oosten. Dan doen ze mogelijk opnieuw haasje-over met de Nederlanders en nemen de Belgen weer de rol van troepenbescherming over.

Sunday 25 September – a Reaper again patrolled the northern Tigris valley, delivering four further attacks…On Sunday 25 September, a Reaper was again back in the skies near Qayyarah where it conducted four attacks on Daesh targets using its Hellfire weapons. Another mortar was destroyed, and three missiles eliminated a group of terrorists engaged in a close quarters fight with Iraqi troops.

On Sept. 25, coalition military forces conducted 27 strikes against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes using attack, bomber, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 17 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

* Near Abu Kamal, one strike destroyed five ISIL oil tanker trucks and two oil well heads.

* Near Ayn Isa, one strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed nine oil well heads and an oil tanker truck.

* Near Manbij, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions and a tank.

* Near Mar’a, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions and a mortar system.

Iraq

* Near Al Huwayjah, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units.

* Near Haditha, one strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL-held building.

* Near Hit, one strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and a staging area and destroyed three ISIL-held buildings.

* Near Kisik, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle, a tunnel, and a watercraft.

* Near Mosul, four strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units; destroyed two weapon caches, two fighting positions, and two tunnels; and suppressed a mortar system.

* Near Qayyarah, four strikes [2-4 British] engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three rocket rails, three vehicles, two mortar systems, a rocket system, a fighting position, and a weapons cache.

* Near Ramadi, one strike destroyed two ISIL machine guns.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike destroyed two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL-held building.

* Near Tal Afar, one strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

On Sept. 24, coalition military forces conducted 27 strikes against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 13 strikes using attack, bomber, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery against ISIL targets. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

* Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed seven oil tanker trucks.

* Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes destroyed seven ISIL oil well heads and damaged two supply routes.

* Near Manbij, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, two weapons caches, and a mortar system.

* Near Mar’a, three strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a VBIED, a vehicle, and a heavy machine gun.

Iraq

* Near Al Huwayjah, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed a watercraft, two vehicles, a VBIED, and damaged a vehicle.

* Near Kisik, one strike destroyed an ISIL watercraft.

* Near Mosul, six strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed two vehicles, two tunnels, and an anti-air artillery system; and damaged four fighting positions.

* Near Ramadi, one strike engaged an ISIL tactial unit and destroyed three vehicles, a heavy machine gun, and an anti-air artillery system.

* Near Sultan Abdallah, four strikes destroyed three ISIL headquarters buildings, a weapons cache, and a mortar system.

Saturday 24 September – a Reaper provided close air support to Iraqi operations in the Tigris valley and conducted four attacks on terrorist targets…On Saturday 24 September, a Reaper was again flown over the Tigris, near Qayyarah, where it provided surveillance support to a coalition air strike that destroyed a Daesh headquarters. The Reaper then turned its attention to several groups of extremists out in the open. Hellfire attacks struck one mortar team and two groups of terrorists. A few survivors of the attacks then boarded a motorboat, hoping to make their escape across the Tigris, but a fourth Hellfire sank them at the mooring.