British bombers continue strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq

“All four of the bombs struck their targets accurately and the strike was assessed to have been a success in eliminating the terrorist threat.”
A Royal Air Force jet. (Photo: Reuters)
A Royal Air Force jet. (Photo: Reuters)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has revealed that the UK Royal Air Force hit several Islamic State fighters north of Bayji in Iraq over the weekend.

The UK’s defense ministry said in a statement on Saturday that despite the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Royal Air Force aircraft have continued “regular armed reconnaissance missions to support the enduring work of the Iraqi security forces to prevent any resurgence of the [ISIS] terrorist movement within their country.”

On Jan. 24, a coalition surveillance aircraft located some Islamic State fighters “based in two caves some 10 miles north of Bayji,” according to the statement. In response, two British Typhoon FGR4s were tasked to strike them.

“Our aircraft conducted a careful check of the area around the caves, which were a mile and a half apart, for any signs of civilians who might be at risk, before conducting simultaneous attacks, using two Paveway IV guided bombs against each group,” the UK MoD said.

“All four of the bombs struck their targets accurately and the strike was assessed to have been a success in eliminating the terrorist threat.”

British aircraft have conducted previous missions against the so-called Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria. On Oct. 6, 2020, an RAF Reaper hit terrorists that had attacked Iraqi security forces in the desert of Anbar province, west of Baghdad.

The UK is one of the members of the US-led coalition against the so-called Islamic State. Britain has provided military training, humanitarian, and logistic support to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq since 2015.

Wayne Marotto, the Spokesman for the US-led Coalition, told Kurdistan 24 on Tuesday that the US-led Coalition “and our partner forces continue to find and eliminate Da’esh [ISIS] remnants in Syria and Iraq.”

The Global Coalition “will continue to assist and support the ISF (Iraqi Security Forces) and SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces),” he stated. “The Coalition will continue assisting in planning, intelligence, surveillance, and when requested by the Government of Iraq, airpower.”

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany