Tuesday, September 30, 2014

RAF jets strike first IS targets in Iraq

Two Tornado jets in flight
RAF jets have attacked a "heavy weapon position" and an armed pick-up truck in Iraq, the Ministry of Defence has said.
In the first attacks since Parliament approved military action on Friday, two "precision strikes" were launched and both were "successful", the MoD said.
The attacks, by two Tornado jets, were part of an international effort against militant group Islamic State (IS).
A US-led coalition of about 40 nations is trying to destroy IS, which controls large parts of Iraq and Syria.
 
The MoD said the Tornados were on an "armed reconnaissance mission" from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus when they were asked to help Kurdish troops in north-west Iraq.
It said the Kurds were under attack from IS - also known as Isil and Isis.
"On arriving overhead, the RAF patrol, using their Litening III targeting pod, identified an Isil heavy weapon position which was engaging Kurdish ground forces," an MoD statement said.
"One Paveway IV guided bomb was used to attack the Isil position.
"Following this engagement, the patrol identified an Isil armed pick-up truck in the same area and conducted an attack on the vehicle using a Brimstone missile.
"An initial assessment indicates that both precision strikes were successful."

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