Typhoons have destroyed an Islamic State training camp in northern Iraq.
A strike in support of the Iraqi security forces was conducted by RAF aircraft on the 2nd of September, according to the Ministry of Defence.
In this instance, Islamic State had established a training camp in northern Iraq at a cluster of buildings in the desert, some 25 miles south-west of Ash Sharqat.
Six specific targets amongst the buildings were identified, and two Typhoon FGR4s, armed with Paveway IV guided bombs, were duly dispatched from RAF Akrotiri.
A coalition surveillance aircraft had kept a close watch on the site and confirmed that there was no sign of any civilians being present, whereupon all six targets were struck by the Typhoons.
Background on Operation Shader
This section is intended to provide a bit of background on British efforts in the region and if you’ve read it before, please remember others may not have.
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.
The site AirWars reported by Dec 2018 the RAF had flown 8000 missions against I.S across Syria and Iraq since Sept 2104. They had released precision weapons 1600 times. The RAF, SAS and British Army, have significantly assisted US forces in smashing one of the most evil movements to have come into existence since the Nazis. Millions of innocent men, women and children have been freed from brutality, slavery and death. President Trump, US, British and French forces will get little credit for their efforts. But had been up to the odious moral cowardice of Corbyn’s Labour, the Liberals and the SNP, these millions would still be suffering unspeakable evils. They would have stood by while the Yazidi people and others were enslaved. This was not about oil as some fools suggest. It was about doing what is right. Those opposed to military action should now have the honour to admit they were wrong. But they won’t. And here is the point I think most important. If the UK were ever to faced with a serious threat, the most important battle that it would face would be defeating the lies and deceit propagated by politically motivated domestic opponents like the Stop The War Coalition. It is important for the MoD and government to remind the British public of the good British forces achieve to counter the necrotic toxin of current extremist political groups and also hostile media.
Fair comments.
Pretty much sums it up mate, no need for discussion, procrastination or counter arguments on your post! Although I’m sure some pathetic little excuse will pipe up and say your wrong, blah blah, whine, whinge! But you are correct, and straight to the point! One of the hardest future battle will be getting past the various leftist groups fake news and propaganda.
Spot on! Well said.
Good post.
“… the RAF had flown 8000 missions against I.S across Syria and Iraq since Sept 2104.”
Good to know that the RAF is still flying in the 22nd Century. Glad to see that Time Travel has been invented and commercialized so that they can bring the news back to the 21st Century.
Yes, I know, an obvious typo. I just couldn’t resist…
Great words John. It is really difficult for me to listen to complaints about defence spending. It is fantastic armed forces such as the UK and others that bring stability to the world. Whilst I don’t state that we get it right every time, it certainly is not a reason for us not to act when it is responsible to do so. I cannot imagine how the likes of Jeremy Corbyn can justify leaving innocent people to be subject to rape and murder and be the right thing to do for a civilised country.
I have to agree even in the knowledge that young men and women would have to do it for me.