De Nederlandse F-16’s die meedoen aan de strijd tegen ISIS vlogen tussen de 10 en 20 missies boven Irak. Ze zetten daarbij geregeld wapens in tegen doelen van de terroristische organisatie. Een overzicht van Defensie-operaties in de week van 15 tot en met 21 december.

Nederland stelt 8 F-16’s beschikbaar voor aanvallen op ISIS op Iraaks grondgebied. Daarmee draagt de Koninklijke Luchtmacht bij aan de internationale strijd tegen ISIS. Nederlandse jachtvliegtuigen zijn de afgelopen dagen voortdurend ingezet voor de strijd tegen de terreurorganisatie om de bevolking op Mount Sinjar een vrije doorgang te geven. Koerdische Peshmerga brachten strijders van ISIS met steun van de coalitie hier de afgelopen dagen een nederlaag toe.

De 250 Nederlandse militairen kregen bezoek van Commandant Luchtstrijdkrachten luitenant-generaal Sander Schnitger. “Vanuit het Midden-Oosten, 24 uur per dag, 7 dagen per week, zorgt u ervoor dat de opmars van ISIS een halt wordt toegeroepen. Die opmars vormt een directe bedreiging voor de regio en veroorzaakt instabiliteit aan de grenzen van Europa”, zei hij aan het begin van zijn kerstbezoek.

Vanuit Nederland vertrokken de eerste militairen naar Irak om de komst van de trainers voor te bereiden. Dat gebeurde op locaties in Erbil en Bagdad.

December 20th 2014 – U.S. and partner nation military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria Dec. 20 using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct five airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted eight airstrikes in Iraq Dec. 20 using fighter, bomber, and attack aircraft against the ISIL terrorists. The following is a summary of those strikes:

Syria

Near Kobani, five airstrikes destroyed eight ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

Near Tal Afar, three airstrikes destroyed an ISIL building, an ISIL mortar, six ISIL technical vehicles and struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL checkpoint.

Near Ar Rutbah, three airstrikes destroyed an ISIL checkpoint and four ISIL tactical vehicles [British] and damaged an ISIL storage container.

Near Mosul, an airstrike destroyed seven ISIL machine guns and two ISIL bunkers [possibly Canadian? See below].

Near Bayji, an airstrike [French] destroyed three ISIL buildings and struck a large ISIL unit.

On December 20, while taking part in coalition missions in support of Iraqi security forces ground operations in an area northwest of Mosul, two CF-188 Hornets used precision guided munitions to damage an ISIL Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED).‬ The VBIED was positioned on a roadside, posing a direct threat to the safety and security of Iraqi security forces operating in the region.

In Anbar province, where the Iraqi army is conducting a number of offensive operations, RAF Tornados GR4s on an armed reconnaissance mission were tasked to investigate a group of vehicles near Ar Rutbah in the early hours of Saturday morning [December 20th]. Four ISIL armoured personnel carriers were identified and successfully attacked with Brimstone missiles.

Deux jours plus tard [December 20th 2014], à la demande des forces de sécurité irakiennes prises à partie au sol par des combattants de Daech, deux avions de combat sont à nouveau intervenus dans la région de Baïji, dans le Nord de l’Irak. Les équipages ont tout de suite identifié les combattants de Daech faisant feu sur les forces de sécurité irakiennes.

La patrouille a poursuivi sa surveillance et informé la chaîne de commandement en temps réel. Après accord du CAOC (Coordination Air Operation Center), un des deux appareils a fait feu sur un poste de combat terroriste afin de neutraliser la menace.

December 19th 2014 – U.S. and partner nation military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria Dec. 19 using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct four airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted eleven airstrikes in Iraq Dec. 19 using fighter, bomber, and attack aircraft [and RPAS according to the UK] against the ISIL terrorists. The following is a summary of those strikes:

Syria

* Near Kobani, three airstrikes destroyed two ISIL buildings and an ISIL staging area and struck two ISIL tactical units.

* Near Ar Raqqah, an airstrike damaged an ISIL training compound.

Iraq

* Near Al Asad, two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL building and mortar and struck an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Mosul, two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle and damaged an ISIL bridge.

* Near Fallujah, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL vehicle and struck an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Al Qaim, an airstrike destroyed two ISIL tactical vehicles.

* Near Ramadi, three airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units.

* Near Sinjar, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit [but see UK below]

* Near Tal Afar, an airstrike [Canadian] struck an ISIL tactical unit

December 19th 2014 – The peshmerga offensive has been assisted by considerable coalition air support, including from the RAF. A Reaper played its part last night by providing surveillance for an advancing Kurdish unit. The Reaper conducted three strikes this morning [December 19th] with Hellfire missiles on ISIL fighting positions.

On December 19, two CF-188 Hornets successfully struck ISIL elements including vehicles and a fortified rocket emplacement with precision guided munitions in the vicinity of Tal Afar which is located between Sinjar and Mosul. The airstrikes were part of a larger coalition mission in the Sinjar region to support Iraqi security forces’ efforts to reach internally displaced civilians stranded in the Sinjar Mountains.