Wednesday 19 October – Typhoons and a Reaper provided close air support around Mosul, engaging six targets, including a large truck-bomb being driven towards an Iraqi unit…Coalition aircraft have continued intensive air operations to support the Iraqi offensive to liberate Mosul, with the Royal Air Force playing a significant role.

On Wednesday 19 October, a Reaper scouted ahead of Iraqi troops advancing to the south-east of the city. A terrorist rocket-propelled grenade team were identified and eliminated using a Hellfire missile. The Reaper then provided surveillance support to two successful attacks by coalition fast jets on larger groups of terrorists, before conducting a further Hellfire attack itself. The aircraft’s surveillance sensors then spotted a large armoured truck-bomb emerging from cover and being driven at speed towards an Iraqi unit. An immediate attack with a Hellfire missile struck the vehicle, which crashed out of control, and the would-be suicide bomber abandoned the truck and fled. Another group of terrorists were later identified and attacked with a fourth Hellfire. Meanwhile, to the north of Mosul, Paveway IV-armed Typhoons destroyed two Daesh-held buildings.