MORAY BASED TYPHOON Jets have now been at the forefront of the push to remove terrorist forces from Syria and Iraq for the last seven months.
Since the decision to send six aircraft and their ground support teams to Cyprus in December, the RAF crews have been in almost constant action alongside Tornado crews and allied forces in the push against Daesh.
Their operations in support of Syrian and Iraqi ground forces were notable again this week as the Typhoons destroyed a Daesh strongpoint in Northern Iraq, the Ministry of Defence highlighting operations carried out on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Royal Air Force aircraft have continued round-the-clock air operations against Daesh terrorists in Iraq and Syria over recent days,” a spokesman said, adding: “Patrols by Paveway-armed Typhoon FGR4s continued over northern Iraq on Tuesday 12 July.
“One flight destroyed a heavily armed Daesh truck near Qayyarah, taking great care to avoid causing damage to a nearby mosque. Near Tal Afar a second Typhoon mission struck another armed truck concealed in a covered parking bay – a large secondary explosion followed as the vehicle’s cargo of ammunition detonated.”
Significantly, the MoD report highlighted how an attack was launched close to the Iraq/Syria border that targeted Daesh commanders on the ground: “That night close to the Iraqi border with Syria, a meeting of Daesh commanders was known to be in progress at Kerabilah and a pair of Tornados conducted an attack with a salvo of four Paveway IVs that completely demolished the building.
“The Tornados then flew north-east to the area north of Bayji and used Brimstone missiles to destroy two terrorist truck-bombs.”
The impact of the RAF operation, ordered at a special session of the UK Parliament in December, has helped in creating a steady retreat by Daesh – or so-called IS Terrorist forces – from various areas they occupied in the two countries.