Operation Shader

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Operation Shader
Part of the Military intervention against ISIL and
the Global War on Terrorism
RAF Voyager KC2 refuels two Tornado GR4 over Iraq.jpg
A Royal Air Force Voyager KC2 refuels two RAF Tornado GR4s over Iraq on 4 March 2015.
Date 26 September 2014 – present
(1 year, 3 weeks and 5 days)[1][2]
Location Iraq, Syria
Status

Ongoing

  • British airstrikes on ISIL in Iraq and Syria
  • ISIL loses a quarter of its territory[1]
Belligerents
United Kingdom United Kingdom Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom David Cameron
United Kingdom Michael Fallon
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Abu Alaa Afri   [3]
Strength
  • 275 military trainers training Iraqi forces
  • 75 military trainers training Syrian moderate opposition forces.
  • 10 unmanned combat aerial vehicles
  • 17 manned aircraft
  • 2 ships
Up to 200,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria
Casualties and losses

United Kingdom United Kingdom

  • 32 civilians killed (2 executed)[4]
  • 1 volunteer[5]

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant:

  • 350+ Isis fighters killed[6]

Operation Shader is the code name given to the British participation in the ongoing military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[2][1] The operation began on 26 September 2014 following a formal request for assistance by the Iraqi government.[1] Prior to this, the Royal Air Force had been engaged in a humanitarian relief effort over Mount Sinjar, which involved multiple humanitarian aid airdrops by transport aircraft and the airlifting of displaced refugees in Northern Iraq. By 21 October 2014, the intervention had extended onto Syria with the Royal Air Force conducting surveillance flights over the country.[7] On 7 September 2015, a Royal Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone conducted an airstrike in Syria which killed two British-born ISIL fighters.[8]

On 17 September 2015, it was reported that around 330 ISIL fighters had been killed by British airstrikes, with zero civilian casualties.[9][10][1] By 26 September 2015, ISIL had lost a quarter of its territory.[1]

Background[edit]

Two Royal Air Force C-130J Hercules aircraft in Iraq, after being unloaded of vital humanitarian supplies on 9 September 2014.

On 9 August 2014, following the genocidal persecution of minorities in Northern Iraq, the British Government deployed the Royal Air Force over Iraq to conduct humanitarian aid airdrops. The first airdrop was conducted on 9 August, with two C-130 Hercules aircraft flying from RAF Akrotiri airdropping bundles of aid into Mount Sinjar.[11][12] A second airdrop commenced on 12 August but had to be aborted due to the risk of injury to civilians.[13] The airdrops were able to resume over Mount Sinjar within 24 hours and two large consignments of aid were delivered.[14] During the same day, the Ministry of Defence announced the deployment of Tornado GR4 strike aircraft. These aircraft, also flying from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, were to help coordinate British airdrops using their LITENING III reconnaissance pods; they were not authorized to conduct any airstrikes prior to Parliamentary approval.[15] Four Chinook transport helicopters were also deployed alongside them to participate in any required refugee rescue missions.[16] On 13 August, two Hercules aircraft dropped a third round of humanitarian aid into Mount Sinjar.[17] This was followed by a fourth and final round on 14 August, bringing the total number of humanitarian aid airdrops conducted by the RAF to seven.[18] The UK suspended its humanitarian aid airdrops on 14 August, citing the improved humanitarian situation in Mount Sinjar.[19]

On 18 August 2014, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon disclosed during an interview that members of the 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (2 YORKS) had been deployed on the ground in Irbil to help secure the area for a possible helicopter rescue mission. The battalion, which, at the time, was the Cyprus-based Theatre Reserve Battalion (TRB) for Operation Herrick in Afghanistan, had left Irbil within 24 hours.[20]

On 16 August 2014, following the suspension of humanitarian aid airdrops, the Royal Air Force began shifting its focus from humanitarian relief to reconnaissance. The Tornado GR4's, which were previously used to help coordinate humanitarian aid airdrops, were re-tasked to gather vital intelligence for anti-ISIL forces. The Ministry of Defence also confirmed that an RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft had been deployed over the country on what was its first operational deployment since entering service.[21] The aircraft was based at RAF Al Udeid in Qatar alongside U.S. Rivet Joint and KC-135 tanker aircraft.[22][23] In addition to Tornado and Rivet Joint, the Royal Air Force also deployed Reaper, Sentinel, Shadow and Sentry aircraft to fly surveillance missions over Iraq and Syria.[24][25][26]

As of 26 September 2015, the United Kingdom had flown a third of all coalition surveillance flights over Iraq and Syria.[1]

Airstrikes[edit]

Tornado returns to Akrotiri after first airstrikes, 30 September 2014
RAF Tornado Destroys ISIS Armored Vehicle in Al Qaim, 2 November 2014.

On 2 September 2014, ISIL released a video threatening to behead British citizen David Haines. Prime Minister David Cameron reacted by saying that ISIL will be “be squeezed out of existence”.[27] On 10 September 2014, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond stated in Berlin that “Britain will not be taking part in any strikes in Syria”. This remark was quickly contradicted by a spokesman of Prime Minister David Cameron who said that the Prime Minister had "not ruled anything out" as far as airstrikes against ISIL were concerned.[28]

On 13 September 2014, following the release of a video showing the beheading of British citizen David Haines by Jihadi John of ISIL, David Cameron reacted by saying “We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it takes.”[29] Parliament was recalled on 26 September to debate the authorization of British airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq. David Cameron told MPs that intervention, at the request of the Iraqi government, to combat a “brutal terrorist organisation”, was “morally justified”. He went on to state that ISIL was a direct threat to the United Kingdom and that British inaction would lead to “more killing” in Iraq. Following a seven-hour debate, Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of airstrikes, with 524 votes in favour and 43 against.[30] The 43 ‘No’ votes came from 23 Labour MPs, six Conservative MPs, five Scottish National Party MPs, three Social Democratic and Labour Party MPs, two Plaid Cymru MPs, one Liberal Democrat MP, one Green Party MP, and one Respect Party MP.[30] Following the vote, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told the BBC that the priority would be to stop the slaughter of civilians in Iraq, and that the UK and its allies would be guided by Iraqi and Kurdish intelligence in identifying targets.[30]

The Royal Air Force began conducting armed sorties over Iraq immediately after the vote, using six Tornado GR4s stationed at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.[31] The first airstrike occurred on 30 September when a patrol of two Tornado GR4s attacked an ISIL heavy weapons position using a Paveway IV laser-guided bomb and an armed pickup truck using a Brimstone missile. On 3 October 2014, the six Tornado GR4s were bolstered by an additional two aircraft, bringing the total number of combat aircraft deployed on Operation Shader to eight.[32] During the same day, it was reported that the Royal Navy had tasked Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender to escort the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) while she launched aircraft into Iraq and Syria.[33]

On 16 October 2014, the Ministry of Defence announced the deployment of an undisclosed number of MQ-9 Reaper unmanned combat aerial vehicles to assist with surveillance.[34] However, Michael Fallon stated that the Reapers could also conduct airstrikes alongside the Tornado GR4s.[34] The first airstrike conducted by a Reaper occurred on 10 November 2014.[35] By 26 September 2015 – a full year after the operation first began – Tornado and Reaper aircraft had flown over 1,300 missions against ISIL and had conducted more than 300 airstrikes, killing more than 330 ISIL fighters.[10][9][1]

According to Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, the UK had conducted a "huge number of missions" over Iraq by 13 December 2014, second only to the United States and five times as many as France.[36] By 5 February 2015, the UK had contributed 6% of all coalition airstrikes in Iraq – a contribution second only to the United States[37] – which the Defence Select Committee described as "modest".[38]

Training mission[edit]

On 12 October 2014, the British Government agreed to send 12 members of the 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (2 YORKS) into Irbil to train Kurdish Peshmerga on how to use UK-supplied heavy machine guns.[49] In November, the number of British troops involved in this training mission rose from 12 to 50.[36] On 13 December 2014, the Government announced a plan to bolster this number by an additional batch of British troops numbering in the low hundreds.[36] However, these plans were later put on hold until after the 2015 General Election.[50] It was disclosed that a small team of combat-ready troops would have been sent along with the trainers to provide protection.[36] The troops were to be based in Irbil and the capital Baghdad.[51] Kurdish forces claim they have received assistance from British Special Forces.[52]

On 1 March 2015, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced that the UK had trained over 1,000 Peshmerga fighters.[53] On 7 March 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron authorised the deployment of 60 troops to Iraq to train Kurdish forces.[54] The House of Commons Defence Committee has nevertheless argued that the UK's training and ground participation has been small compared to other Western coalition members.[55]

On 26 March 2015, the Ministry of Defence announced the deployment of around 75 military trainers and headquarter staff to Turkey, and other nearby countries in the anti-ISIL coalition, to assist with the U.S.-led training programme in Syria. The training programme will provide small arms, infantry tactics and medical training to Syrian moderate opposition forces for over three years.[24]

On 7 June 2015, during the G7 Summit in Bavaria, Prime Minister David Cameron announced that 125 extra military trainers would be deployed to Iraq, bringing the total to 275.[56]

By 26 September 2015, the UK had supplied anti-ISIL forces with 500,000 rounds of ammunition.[1]

Deployed forces[edit]

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender (D36) escorts the American aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) through the Middle East during Operation Shader.
An RAF C-17 aircraft being refueled at RAF Brize Norton before delivering Iraq-bound aid to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
RAF Tornado GR4 over Iraq on an armed reconnaissance mission.

British Army[edit]

Royal Air Force[edit]

Royal Navy[edit]

Tri-Service[edit]

Intervention in Syria[edit]

Although the House of Commons only authorized airstrikes in Iraq, Prime Minister David Cameron argued that there was also a "strong case" for airstrikes in Syria. However, the Prime Minister claimed that any extension of airstrikes from Iraq into Syria would require another House of Commons vote, unless it was to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.[70]

On 21 October 2014, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that Rivet Joint and Reaper surveillance flights were occurring over Syria, making the UK the first Western country other than the United States to operate in both Iraq and Syria simultaneously.[7] Reaper drones operating over both Iraq and Syria are being operated from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.[26] In March 2015, the Ministry of Defence revealed that the Reapers had conducted eight surveillance missions over Syria during January 2015.[26]

On 26 March 2015, the Ministry of Defence announced the deployment of around 75 military trainers and headquarter staff to Turkey to provide training to moderate opposition forces in Syria.[24]

On 15 May 2015, surveillance by UK Special Forces confirmed the presence of a senior leader named Abu Sayyaf in al-Amr, Syria, after which U.S. Special Operations Forces based in Iraq conducted an operation to capture him. The operation resulted in his death and the capture of his wife Umm Sayyaf.[71]

On 30 June 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron once again made calls for airstrikes in Syria, following the 2015 Sousse attacks which left 30 Britons dead. These calls were then echoed by the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon who claimed there was an "illogicality" of British forces observing the Iraq-Syria border when IS "don't differentiate" between the two countries and moves freely between them. Michael Fallon has stated that the UK does not need the backing of Parliament to launch airstrikes in Syria, but the House of Commons will have the final say.[72] On 19 July 2015, during a television interview with NBC, David Cameron stated that Britain was committed to destroying the caliphate in both countries.[73]

On 17 July 2015, it emerged that British pilots were taking part in airstrikes in Syria whilst embedded with U.S. and Canadian forces.[74][75]

On 7 September 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron announced that two British Islamic State fighters, Rayeed Khan and Rahoul Amin, were targeted and killed in Syria by a Royal Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone strike. In Parliament, Cameron stated this was a lawful "act of self defence" because the fighters had been plotting attacks in the United Kingdom.[8]

On 20 September 2015, it was reported that the Special Air Service had killed six ISIS fighters whilst rescuing an agent in Syria.[76]

Politics[edit]

Prior to the vote in Parliament on 26 September 2014, Rushanara Ali, Labour Party MP and Shadow Education Minister, wrote to Labour Leader Ed Miliband to announce her resignation as Shadow Minister, in advance of her deliberate abstention in the vote. She wrote that, while acknowledging the "horrific and barbaric" actions of ISIL, she was concerned that British military action would create further bloodshed in Iraq. Rushanara, Bangladesh-born and Muslim, wrote that "there is a genuine belief in Muslim and non-Muslim communities that military action will only create further bloodshed and further pain for the people of Iraq". She added that she had no confidence that the potential impact of such military action on radicalization in the UK had been properly thought through.[77][78]

Anti-war groups, including Stop the War Coalition (StWC), planned a protest march through London on 4 October 2014 in response to Operation Shader. A spokesman of StWC said “All evidence shows that all interventions will just cause more violence”. The StWC website argued that the previous two interventions in Iraq had “helped create the current chaos”.[79] Comedian and social activist Russell Brand told StWC that “Bombing won’t work – it is going to make matters worse. It will lead to ground troops going in. That will make matters worse. These kind of operations always make things worse.”[79]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Op Shader - A Year On". Ministry of Defence. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015. 
  2. ^ a b "Islamic State air strikes: RAF launches Operation Shader". BBC News. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014. 
  3. ^ Engel, Pamela (23 April 2015). "Report: A former physics teacher favored by Osama bin Laden is now leading ISIS". Business Insider. Retrieved 29 April 2015. 
  4. ^ "Tunisia attack: RAF flies home more bodies of UK dead". BBC News. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015. 
  5. ^ "Family of ex-marine who died battling Isis praise his courage and conviction". The Guardian. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015. 
  6. ^ "About 330 Isis members killed in RAF airstrikes in past year – MoD". The Guardian. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015. 
  7. ^ a b "Surveillance missions over Syria confirmed". Ministry of Defence. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014. 
  8. ^ a b "Two Britons killed in RAF Syria strike, PM tells MPs". BBC News. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2015. 
  9. ^ a b "Islamic State: Military Intervention:Written question - 9798". Parliament. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2015. 
  10. ^ a b "About 330 Isis members killed in RAF airstrikes in past year – MoD". The Guardian. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2015. 
  11. ^ "UK planes to drop emergency aid to Iraqi refugees". BBC News. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014. 
  12. ^ "Iraq aid drops to 'step up', says No 10". BBC News. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014. Two British C130 cargo planes were involved in dropping off the first batch of supplies. 
  13. ^ "Iraq crisis: RAF aborts air drop amid safety fears". BBC News. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014. 
  14. ^ "RAF planes make second aid drop in northern Iraq". BBC News. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014. 
  15. ^ a b "Tornados ready to support humanitarian operations". Ministry of Defence. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014. 
  16. ^ a b "RAF Tornado jets in Cyprus for Iraq aid mission". BBC News. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014. A "small number" of Chinook helicopters would also be sent for "further relief options", the Foreign Office said. 
  17. ^ a b "UK steps up aid for Northern Iraq". Ministry of Defence. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014. 
  18. ^ "New UK aid supplies delivered to Iraq". Ministry of Defence. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014. Over four nights, the UK has successfully delivered a total of seven air drops of clean water, shelter and solar lamps with mobile phone chargers to help thousands of displaced Iraqi people. 
  19. ^ "Iraq crisis: PM calls off aid air drops as ‘desperate’ situation is made safe". Independent. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014. 
  20. ^ a b "David Cameron defends 'clear' Iraq strategy". BBC News. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014. Troops from the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire regiment had been sent into the Kurdish capital Irbil for 24 hours to prepare the ground for a possible rescue mission by the helicopters. 
  21. ^ "Iraq: 'Secret' Surveillance Flights Revealed". Sky News. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014. 
  22. ^ "Aviation News – RAF deploys its RC-135 Rivet Joint". Global Aviation Resource. Retrieved 13 December 2014. 
  23. ^ "RAF prepares jets to strike Isis targets in Iraq". The Guardian. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014. An RAF Rivet Joint surveillance plane equipped with listening devices has also been flying missions from al-Udeid air base in Qatar to eavesdrop on Isis communications. 
  24. ^ a b c d e f "UK troops to train moderate Syrian opposition". Ministry of Defence. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015. 
  25. ^ a b c "RAF steps up Iraq and Syria spying missions in 'new Battle of Britain'". The Guardian. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015. 
  26. ^ a b c d e "UK details extent of combat activity over Iraq". Flightglobal. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015. 
  27. ^ 'Isis will be squeezed out of existence, says David Cameron'. the guardian, 3 September 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  28. ^ "David Cameron overrules Philip Hammond on air strikes in Syria". The Guardian. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2015. 
  29. ^ 'ISIS executes Britis aid worker David Haines; Cameron vows justice'. CNN, 14 September 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  30. ^ a b c "MPs support UK air strikes against IS in Iraq". BBC News. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2015. 
  31. ^ a b "RAF Tornado jets ready for attack role over Iraq". Ministry of Defence. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014. 
  32. ^ a b c "PM announces Tornado deployment". Ministry of Defence. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014. 
  33. ^ a b c "HMS Defender supports operations against ISIL in the middle east". Royal Navy. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014. 
  34. ^ a b c "UK deploys Reaper to the Middle East". Ministry of Defence. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014. 
  35. ^ a b c "British forces air strikes in Iraq: monthly list". Ministry of Defence. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015. 
  36. ^ a b c d "'Hundreds' more UK troops to be sent to Iraq - Michael Fallon". BBC News. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014. 
  37. ^ "Airwars". Airwars. Retrieved 27 September 2015. 
  38. ^ "Islamic State: MPs urge UK to step up fight against jihadists". BBC News. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015. 
  39. ^ a b "The E-3D Sentry Arrives in RAF Akrotiri". Forces TV. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015. 
  40. ^ "HMS Dauntless Joins the Fight Against ISIL". Forces TV. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015. 
  41. ^ "RAF conducts first air strikes of Iraq mission". Ministry of Defence. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014. 
  42. ^ "RAF Tornados' second air strikes in Iraq". Ministry of Defence. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014. 
  43. ^ "U.S. Military, Partners Continue Airstrikes Against ISIL". U.S. Department of Defense. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014. 
  44. ^ "LATEST: air strikes in Iraq". Ministry of Defence. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014. 
  45. ^ "LATEST: air strikes in Iraq". Ministry of Defence. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014. Other RAF aircraft, including Voyager refuelling tankers, and Rivet Joint and Reaper surveillance platforms, also continue to support coalition air operations. 
  46. ^ "HMS Defender in Cyprus Stop". Forces.TV. 27 November 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014. 
  47. ^ a b c "HMS Kent joins US carrier battle group in the Gulf". Royal Navy. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014. 
  48. ^ a b "HMS Defender comes home for Christmas". The News. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014. 
  49. ^ "UK troops training Kurdish forces in Iraq, says MoD". BBC News. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014. 
  50. ^ "British troops to Iraq delayed by General Election campaign". The Telegraph. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015. 
  51. ^ "Hundreds Of British Troops To Be Sent To Iraq". Sky News. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014. 
  52. ^ "More British troops set for Iraq training". The Telegraph. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2015. 
  53. ^ a b c "Defence Secretary thanks UK military personnel tackling ISIL". Ministry of Defence. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015. 
  54. ^ "More UK army personnel sent to Iraq". BBC News. 7 March 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015. 
  55. ^ "The situation in Iraq and Syria and the response to al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq alSham (DAESH)" (PDF). House of Commons Defence Committee. Retrieved 8 February 2015. 
  56. ^ "G7 summit: 125 extra UK military trainers to be sent to Iraq". BBC News. 7 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015. 
  57. ^ "UK troops training Kurdish forces in Iraq, says MoD". BBC News. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014. 
  58. ^ "New Footage of British Troops Training Peshmerga". Forces TV. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015. 
  59. ^ a b c AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. February 2015. p. 5. 
  60. ^ "RAF Delivers Military Support to Iraq". Royal Air Force. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014. RAF C-17 aircraft have also transported a range of non-lethal support, to be gifted by the UK to Iraq, to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus which will be transported on to the Kurdish forces. 
  61. ^ "What is the UK's military commitment in Iraq?". BBC News. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014. 
  62. ^ "HMS Duncan joins US Carrier on strike operations against ISIL". Royal Navy. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015. 
  63. ^ "Wildcat shows its teeth during Gulf heat trials". Royal Navy. Retrieved 18 September 2015. 
  64. ^ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2015/october/19/151019-defender-deploys
  65. ^ "HMS Dauntless arrives East of Suez". Royal Navy. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015. 
  66. ^ a b "Double delight as HMS Dauntless and Kent return to Portsmouth". Royal Navy. Retrieved 15 May 2015. 
  67. ^ Nichols, Tristan (26 September 2014). "Royal Navy attack sub already deployed off coast of Iraq". The Herald. Retrieved 4 October 2014. Oliver Colvile, Tory MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, tabled a question to the Deputy Prime Minister asking about the likelihood of Royal Navy involvement in the campaign. “He said there was already a submarine in the Persian Gulf,” Mr Colvile told The Herald. 
  68. ^ "British special forces join fighters on Isil front line". Telegraph. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014. SAS and American special forces are working with Kurdish fighters on the Iraqi front lines as part of a major offensive to push Isil jihadists back and relieve pressure on the besieged Syria town of Kobane, senior Kurdish military officers have disclosed. 
  69. ^ "Hundreds Of British Troops To Be Sent To Iraq". Sky News. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014. The UK government has repeatedly insisted that any such training mission would not constitute 'boots-on-the-ground' although British Special Forces are operating in the region. 
  70. ^ "Cameron: IS threat may require Syria intervention". BBC News. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014. 
  71. ^ "SAS 'took part in Abu Sayyaf Isil raid in Syria'". The Telegraph. 9 August 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015. 
  72. ^ "Consider Syria IS strikes, defence secretary urges MPs". BBC News. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015. 
  73. ^ "UK will help destroy Islamic State, David Cameron tells US". BBC News. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015. 
  74. ^ "Syria air strikes conducted by UK military pilots". BBC News. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015. 
  75. ^ "First British Pilots In Airstrikes Over Syria". Sky News. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015. 
  76. ^ "SAS hero kills six ISIS fighters by himself despite being 'out-gunned and outnumbered' during terror ambush in Syria". Mirror. 20 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015. 
  77. ^ 'As it happened: Commons debate on Iraq airstrikes'. The Times, 26 September 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  78. ^ 'Rushanara Ali resigns as shadow education minister over vote on Iraq military action'. Bdnews24.com, 26 September 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  79. ^ a b "‘Iraq III No!’ Anti-war activists call London protest against UK airstrikes". RT. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2015.