The Ministry of Defence has announced that British jets will cease strike operations over Iraq and Syria following the conclusion of the Global Coalition’s military mission against Daesh, which will draw to a close over the next 12 months.
Over the last decade, the Royal Air Force (RAF) has conducted over 10,000 sorties, striking more than 1,400 targets in the region as part of Operation Shader.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said, “We pay tribute to the professionalism of UK personnel who have played their part in the Global Coalition. Thanks to the bravery and effectiveness of the Iraqi Security Forces, Peshmerga and the coalition’s continued commitment, Daesh has been territorially defeated in Iraq. The ISF has enabled the restoration of critical services for communities and the rehabilitation of conflict affected areas.
With these core aims achieved, the process of moving to new security arrangements under Iraqi leadership can commence. Working alongside our global coalition partners, the UK remains committed to ensuring the global defeat of Daesh and its violent ideology. Our commitment to the security of Iraq and the wider region remains unwavering and we will look to develop a bilateral relationship that supports long-term stability in Iraq.”
The end of the Coalition’s mission signals a transition to new security arrangements under Iraqi leadership. The UK’s involvement in Operation Inherent Resolve has seen forces provide training and assistance to over 111,000 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), including 21,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, in key skills like counter-IED tactics, weapons maintenance, and medical training.
Though the RAF’s strike operations will cease, the UK will continue to work with Iraq to ensure long-term stability and security in the region. The mission, which began in 2014, has been part of a broader Global Coalition Against Daesh, comprising 87 international partners working to defeat the terrorist organisation.
It has been a long time in coming. Though with the threats from Yemen, along with how Hezbollah react to its leadership decapitation. I’d expect the Typhoons to stay in Cypress for a while longer. With this news, there is a very strong chance that without the allies operating in Iraq. That long delayed civil war between the Kurds wanting independence and Iraq wanting to maintain control over the oil and gas fields in Northern Iraq, will kick off. More worryingly is that Turkey has told Iraq, that they must not let the Kurds have an independent state. As that… Read more »
Surely Turkie can look across the Black Sea to understand that diplomacy ends at the border of a sovereign nation and armed conflict is not to their advantage, consistent with NATO membership or taking part in the JSF (F35) programme, again.
Having the opportunity to say goodbye to unhappy Kurds in Turkie and allowing them to go to an independent Kurdistan within Iraqi territory seems like a much more reasonable and democratic solution that relieves Turkie of internal security concerns and so reduces costs.
I think Iraq stopped being a whole state a long time ago . If allies pull out in entirety the shia sunni divide will only increase . The divide has already been quite dramatic from ethnic cleansing
Not only Iraq, Syria too. Turkey have troops in both.
National unity is only possible in that region under a strong hand dictator. Remove the dictator and it all breaks down into tribal and religious infighting.
The exception is Israel being the only democracy in that region.
I agree. Saddam made that point very clear . The ethnic cleansing internally in nations like Iraq Syria lebanon is very high. Not good advertisements for multiculterism
Given the events of the last few days, Iran and its proxies will probably step up attacks. Daesh may be subdued or defeated but other threats are rising.