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A running list of the British air strikes against Isis in Syria

Thursday 03 December 2015 17:28 GMT
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RAF Tornados return to RAF Akrotiri after a sortie on 3 December
RAF Tornados return to RAF Akrotiri after a sortie on 3 December (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

On Wednesday 2 December, the House of Commons voted to authorise British air strikes against Isis militants in Syria.

The decision gave the all-clear for RAF warplanes to join US, French, and allied planes already carrying out bombing raids in Syria. Russian jets are also fighting enemies of the Assad regime, including Isis.

Here, the Independent will keep track of major sorties by coalition bombers as they come to light.

How long since Parliament approved air strikes:

The Latest

When: 25 August

Where - Eastern Syria

Tornados struck an Isis group in eastern Syria.

When: 22 August

Where: Eastern Syria

A pair of Tornados used two Brimstone missiles to engage Isis fighters spotted occupying positions under trees in farmland in the east of the country.

When: 16 August

Where: South-eastern Syria

A Reaper operating over south-east Syria used a Hellfire missile to destroy an anti-aircraft gun mounted on a truck, around 40 miles north of al-Tanf.

When: 16 August

Where: Manbij

Tornado GR4s on armed patrol in Syria were tasked to attack a Isis heavy artillery piece just to the south of Manbij. The gun and ammunition stockpile were concealed in trees at the edge of a road, but were destroyed by a pair of Paveway IVs.

Syria’s war: Manbij residents celebrate freedom from ISIL

When: 10 August

Where: Manbij

A Reaper patrolling Manbij intervened in a close combat situation to the north of the town, using Hellfire missiles to clear two groups of Isis fighters, engaging the Syrian forces.

When: 7 August

Where: al-Bukamal

Two Tornados attacked a convoy of tankers north of al-Bukamal, using four Paveway IVs and four Brimstone missiles to prevent Isis extracting revenue from the oil fields in eastern Syria.

When: 2 August

Where: Manbij

Two Typhoons used eight Paveway IV guided bombs to eliminate several fortified defensive positions on the south-west edge of the town, ahead of the Syrian forces advance into the area.

When: 31 July

Where: Manbij

Typhoons flew air missions in support of Syrian forces as they advanced into Manbij. Several defensive positions towards the south-west of the town were destroyed by eight Paveway IVs.

When: 30 July

Where: Manbij

A Reaper was in action again in the Manbij area, carrying out two attacks with Hellfire missiles on Isis fighters and providing assistance to a coalition air strike.

When: 28 July

Where: Manbij area

An RAF Reaper patrolled the area surrounding the city of Manbij, and carried out four separate attacks with Hellfire missiles against groups of Isis fighters. The aircraft also assisted in four further attacks by coalition jets.

When: 26 July

Where: Northern Syria

Typhoons destroyed two Isis strongholds with Paveway bombs, in an area close to the Turkish border, at the end of the Mar’a Line

When: 24 July

Where: North-western Syria

A Reaper flew over northern Syria and used a Hellfire missile to destroy an Isis position which had been firing at Syrian forces. The Reaper then located a second position which was struck by another coalition aircraft. These strikes took place along the Mar’a Line, running from Azaz to the town of Mar'a, in the north of the country.

When: 28 June

Where: Manbij area

Typhoon aircraft executed an attack against a mortar position close to Manbij.

When: 27 June

Where: Manbij area

Two Typhoon aircraft carried out an attack on an Isis stronghold on the south-western outskirts of Manbij, using Paveway IV guided bombs.

Syrian Democratic Forces fighters advancing on Manbij in June 2016 (AFP/Getty)

When: 23 June

Where: Azaz area

A Typhoon operation carried out near Azaz, close to the Turkish border, destroyed two Isis buildings several miles east of the city.

When: 20 June

Where: Raqqa area

A Reaper armed with Hellfire missiles carried out three attacks against an Isis vehicle and fighters travelling on foot.

When: 20 June

Where: Eastern Syria

An armed Tornado patrol in the east of the country attacked a truck bomb hidden amongst ruins in an area north of Deir ez-Zor. A Brimstone missile was deployed and scored a direct hit, prompting a massive explosion of the heavily laden vehicle.

When: 18 June

Where: Manbij area

An RAF Reaper patrolling northern Syria destroyed an Isis vehicle south-west of Manbij, with a Hellfire missile.

Where: 8 June

Where: Raqqa area

A Reaper patrolling central Syria employed a Hellfire missile to destroy a Isis truck moving at speed on the open road south of Raqqa.

When: 30 May

Where: Northern Syria

Two Tornados armed with 1,000lb Enhanced Paveway II bombs attacked two factory sites in northern Syria, between al-Bab and Manbij. The factories were producing improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The US-led Coalition started dropping these leaflets on Raqqa urging civilians to leave on 19 May (RBSS)

When: 23 May

Where: Deir ez-Zor

An RAF Reaper destroyed an Isis checkpoint north-west of Deir ez-Zor with a Hellfire missile.

When: 22 April

Where: Tabqa

A Reaper destroyed an Isis vehicle near Tabqa, south-west of Raqqa, with a Hellfire missile.

When: 22 April

Where: al-Bukamal

A Reaper provided surveillance support to a coalition attack on a weapons factory and used two Hellfire missiles to destroy a nearby workshop which was constructing car bombs.

When: 17 April

Where: Manbij

A Tornado armed patrol over the northern area of the country bombed an Isis mortar position near the city of Manbij.

When: 23 March

Where: Eastern Syria

A Reaper used a Hellfire missile to destroy an Isis vehicle.

When: 22 March

Where: Ukayrishah

In eastern Syria, a Reaper armed with a Hellfire missile demolished an Isis storage facility near Ukayrishah. The attack avoided damage to a nearby school.

US airstrikes kill 250 ISIS fighters

When: 21 March

Where: Raqqa area

Tornado GR4s carried out a strike at an Isis weapons storage site near Ukayrishah, south-east of Raqqa. The main warehouse and three support buildings were destroyed using eight Paveway IV missiles.

When: 2 March

Where: al-Shaddadi area

An RAF Reaper scored a direct hit with a Hellfire missile on an armed anti-aircraft vehicle concealed in an orchard, south-west of al-Shaddadi.

When:28 February

Where: Northern Syria

An RAF Reaper carried out five attacks with Hellfire missiles and a GBU-12 guided bomb against Isis fighters, included an armed team in a truck, near Tell Dehlis.

When: 25 February

Where: al-Shaddadi

Tornados provided support to Syrian forces as they attacked Isis near al-Shaddadi in eastern Syria. The aircraft destroyed an Isis mortar position with a Paveway IV.

When: 20 February

Where: Raqqa area

In the area north-west of Raqqa, a Reaper tracked an Isis group of machine gunners who were firing on Syrian forces. After they retreated to a small building, the Reaper attacked with a Hellfire missile.

When: 19 February

Where: Raqqa area

A Reaper, alongside other coalition aircraft, assisted in an airstrike in support of Syrian forces north-west of Raqqa, and then used a Hellfire missile to destroy an Isis armoured vehicle.

When: 18 February

Where: Raqqa area

North-west of Raqqa, a Reaper, alongside coalition jets, provided targeting and surveillance support to three successful air attacks on a group of Isis fighters who were attacking Syrian forces. The Reaper then carried out a fourth attack, using a Hellfire missile.

When: 18 February

Where: al-Bukamal

RAF Tornado GR4s and a Reaper engaged in counter-Isis missions. Two Brimstone missiles were used to strike an engineering vehicle in an Isis controlled oil field.

When:15 February

Where: al-Bukamal

Four Paveway IV bombs destroyed a large weapons store in the city, which is situated on the Syrian bank of the Euphrates.

When: 31 January

Where: Eastern Syria

Typhoon drones patrolled eastern areas of the country, using Paveway bombs to destroy two large clusters of defensive positions.

When: 29 January

Where: North-eastern Syria

Tornado GR4 and Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a Voyager tanker, flew over north-east Syria. Alongside an RAF Reaper, they targeted a group of Isis defensive positions and a large tunnel complex in the area. Eight Paveway bombs were dropped on the targets and tunnel entrances, while the Reaper attacked a third tunnel with a GBU-12 guided bomb.

When: 26 January

Where: Raqqa area

Tornados used six Brimstone missiles to attack mobile cranes south-west of the city.

When: 25 January

Where: Syrian border

A remotely piloted Reaper aircraft hit an Isis position with a Hellfire missile.

When: 25 January

Where: Raqqa area

Two cranes were destroyed by Brimstone missiles, south-west of Raqqa.

When: 24 January

Where: no location given

Tornados attacked three mobile cranes being used by Isis to repair damage from airstrikes with Brimstone missiles.

When: 17 January

Where: Tabqa

A vehicle in the area west of Raqqa was destroyed with Brimstone missiles.

When: 15 January

Where: Raqqa area

Isis barracks near Raqqa were struck with Paveway IVs. A vehicle nearby was also destroyed.

When: 12 January

Where: al-Hasakah

Tornado GR4s patrolling the area used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike Isis-held locations in north-eastern Syria

When: 12 January

Where: oil fields, Eastern Syria

A Reaper drone using Hellfire missiles destroyed a mechanical excavator and an oil pump, to prevent Isis making repairs to the oilfields.

When: 11 January

Where: no location provided

A terrorist checkpoint was identified by a military Reaper drone and successfully attacked using a Hellfire missile.

When: 10 January
Where: Raqqa

Tornado GR4 jets using a Brimstone missile to destroy a supply truck near Raqqa and targeting two Isis buildings.

When: 10 January
Where: Near Deir Ezzor

An attack on the Omar oilfield by two Tornados and a Reaper drone, which used three Brimstones as well as Hellfire missiles to attack mobile cranes brought in by Isis to repair damage inflicted air strikes.

When: 10 January
Where: Raqqa area

Reaper unmanned drones targeting an Isis position in the Raqqa area with a Hellfire missile.

Russia: Fresh footage of airstrikes on isis oil field

When: 10 January
Where: Raqqa area

Two Tornado jets striking a tunnel complex near Raqqa with four Paveway bombs.

Read the full story of these four strikes - the first use of the Brimstone missiles - here.

When: 25 December
Where: Raqqa

An RAF Reaper drone destroyed one of the terror group’s checkpoints near its stronghold of Raqqa using a Hellfire missile on Christmas Day. A Ministry of Defence report on the strike did not record any casualties but The Independent understands that the post was occupied at the time, making it the first time British air strikes had killed Isis militants in Syria. Previous operations had concentrated on oil fields as part of Operation Tidal Wave II, which aims to cut off Isis’ oil revenues.

Read the full story here

When: 6 December
Where: Deir el-Zor province

The Syrian government accused the US-led coalition of killing three of its soldiers and destroying regime vehicles and structures at the Saega military camp. The coalition said it had conducted strikes in the province, but denied hitting the Syrian army base.

Read the full story here

When: 6 December
Where: Raqqa

Monitoring groups said a large number of air strikes hit Isis's stronghold in Syria of Raqqa on Sunday, pounding targets across the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights counted 15 distinct blasts, which killed 32 Isis fighters and wounded around 40 others, and said the strikes were believed to have been carried out by the US-led coalition. The strikes were also reported by Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS), and the coalition later reported carrying out 20 strikes in total across Syria and Iraq.

First air strikes 'succesful'

When: 5 December
Where: Omar oilfields plus Raqqa, Ayn Isa and Mar'a

The joint coalition said in a statement that the US and its allies carried out 29 air strikes against Isis on Saturday, and 12 on Syria itself. Five oil wellheads operated by Isis were destroyed, the coalition said.

When: 4 December
Where: Omar oilfields

On the night of 4 December, two Typhoons flew their first missions over Syria with two Tornados. They launched from RAF Akrotiri to conduct a second series of strikes on targets in the Isis-controlled oilfield at Omar in eastern Syria. They used Paveway IV guided bombs in eight attacks hitting wellheads in an operation the Ministry of Defence said aimed to “cut off the terrorists’ oil revenue at the very source”. There were no immediate reports of casualties and the jets went on to carry out surveillance patrols to collect intelligence on future targets. The Typhoons and Tornados were supported by an RAF Voyager air refuelling tanker and Sentinel, Air Seeker and Hercules aircraft were also being used. On the same day, a Reaper drone provided air support to Kurdish forces fighting Isis in Sinjar, Iraq.

Read the full report here

When: 3 December
Where: Omar oilfields

54 minutes after British MPs voted to allow In two raids, Tornado GR4 jets armed with 500lb Paveway IV bombs, flew from Cyprus RAF base Akrotiri and bombed six targets in Isis-held Omar oilfields 35 miles east of Raqqa in two raids. The strike – described as “successful” by the Ministry of Defence – is estimated to have cost £300,000, with the aircraft returning to the Cyprus base at around 3am. No causalities have been reported. The Tornados were supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, a Reaper, and operating in conjunction with other coalition aircraft. Two further Tornado jets and six Typhoon jets left Lossiemouth, Scotland, to join British forces in Cyprus.

Read the full report here

Additional reporting by Jessica Frank-Keys

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