On the 18th of January Typhoon jets bombed a building from which terrorists were firing at the Syrian Democratic Forces, north-east of Abu Kamal.

The SDF encountered a Daesh-held building as they continued their advance on Friday the 18th of January, and found themselves under heavy fire.

According to the Ministry of Defence, two Typhoons were tasked to assist them, and a single Paveway IV removed the threat with a direct hit on the target.

The following day, both Typhoon and Tornado jets flew close air support for the SDF, and delivered two attacks, striking a terrorist strong-point and eliminating a sniper position.

After almost four decades on operations, Royal Air Force Tornado jets recently returned home to RAF Marham from operations in the Middle East.

First entering service in 1979, the Tornado jet been involved in Op Shader for the past four and a half years, the UK’s mission to defeat Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Background on Operation Shader

By September last year, the Ministry of Defence had announced that over 1,000 personnel were engaged in theatre and that the Royal Air Force had conducted around 1,000 airstrikes, flying over 2,800 sorties, killing over 3,000 Islamic State fighters.

Last year, it was reported that the Royal Air Force was operating at its most intense for 25 years in a single theatre of operation which far outstripped the UK involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan – RAF jets have dropped 11 times more bombs (1,276 strikes) on Syria and Iraq in the preceding 12 months than they had in the busiest year of action in Afghanistan a decade previously.

George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison

5 COMMENTS

  1. Yes, the ROE is much more streamlined than say Afghan, which I why more weapons have been used. Can’t be much more left to bomb?

  2. What a wonderfully evocative headline.

    Like a cartoon strip where the villain is squashed by a falling/speeding rock as the earth around shakes!

    Only ISIS could draw such a strong feeling of retribution! Hideous, sub-human creatures.

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