Summary

Tuesday 28 April – Typhoons struck a number of caves in northern Iraq where Daesh terrorists were based.

Detail
The Royal Air Force continues to fly daily armed reconnaissance missions over Iraq and eastern Syria as part of the global coalition against the Daesh terrorist movement.

On the night of Tuesday 28 April, a pair of Typhoons, operating out of RAF Akrotiri and supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling tanker, joined other coalition aircraft in an attack on a series of caves north-east of Bayji in northern Iraq.

The Typhoons targeted six cave entrances where intelligence had confirmed a group of Daesh terrorists were based.

Following a thorough check of the surrounding area for any signs of non-combatants, the aircraft used Paveway IV precision-guided bombs to strike all six of the caves.

Surveillance confirmed all the weapons struck their targets successfully, removing more Daesh fighters from the battlefield and further downgrading the terrorist movement.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

The strikes continue because the Daesh threat is relentless and so will we be.

Previous update
The Royal Air Force continues to fly daily armed reconnaissance missions over Iraq and eastern Syria as part of the global coalition against the Daesh terrorist movement.

On Friday 10 April, one such patrol conducted air strikes in support of a counter-terrorism operation in northern Iraq.

The pair of Typhoons, assisted by an RAF Reaper aircraft, identified Daesh terrorists occupying a group of fortified buildings in an isolated location west of Tuz Khurma, known to be inhabited by active terrorist commanders and fighters.

The aircraft conducted a thorough check of the area for non-combatants, before using a combination of precision guided bombs to destroy the buildings.

The surveillance aircraft continued to scan the area, confirming that all weapons had struck their targets and there was no collateral damage. Subsequent intelligence indicated that it was a successful operation, removing several Daesh fighters from the battlefield and further degrading the terrorist movement.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

Britain’s adversaries have not let Covid-19 stop them posing a risk to our citizens and allies. It is for that reason that Defence continues to take whatever steps are necessary – at home and abroad – to keep the nation safe.
The use of RAF jets and a Reaper aircraft to deliver a successful strike against Daesh terrorists and their hide out demonstrates that the UK’s Defence never sleeps and will always do what is necessary to protect our people.
For more information see Daesh: UK government response page on GOV.UK