RAF Reaper drone strikes IS target in northern Syria
A Reaper drone struck a so-called Islamic State (IS) target in northern Syria – as the RAF continues its fight against IS in Iraq and Syria.
Royal Air Force aircraft have continued to conduct armed reconnaissance patrols against elements of the terrorist network in Syria and support, as required, the Iraqi authorities' efforts to keep IS, also known as Daesh, out of their country.
A Ministry of Defence (MOD) update has reported that on Tuesday 20 December, the Reaper remotely piloted air system (RPAS) aircraft "kept close observation on a building near Al Bab, in northern Syria, where at least one active Daesh terrorist was known to be present".
According to the MOD update: "Great care was taken to ensure that any potential risks to civilians were understood and minimised before the Reaper's crew fired a salvo of two Hellfire missiles which both struck the target accurately."
In October, the RAF aircraft continued to conduct armed reconnaissance patrols against Daesh.
Armed with Hellfire missiles a Reaper drone tracked and successfully engaged a terrorist on a motorcycle in northern Syria, near Hamman At Turkumen.
In June, Iraqi security forces identified a number of Daesh terrorists attempting to re-establish a presence in an area to the north of Tikrit.
A Reaper aircraft joined coalition aircraft in supporting the Iraqi operation by tracking the group on Tuesday 14 June.
The MOD report stated that "at an appropriate opportunity, when the terrorists were exposed in the open away from any civilians, conducted a successful attack alongside the other coalition aircraft; the RAF Reaper employed Hellfire missiles".
As a result of this Iraqi-led operation, the group was reported to be destroyed, and the terrorists were eliminated before they could mount an active threat to the Iraqi people.
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
