Share

British bombers hit oil field targets in Syria for second time

Targets in the second mission were oil fields as the first target, and the mission involved two Typhoons and two Tornados, Xinhua news agency reported citing BBC.

Advertisement

It is the same oilfield targeted by the RAF in the first combat mission in Syria, carried out within hours of MPs giving approval for the strikes.

The ministry said an unmanned Reaper drone also destroyed an IS truck-bomb south of Sinjar.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has been visiting the airbase: “That’s a pretty impressive achievement I mean they only arrived here the previous day, a long flight down from Scotland”.

He made no assurances about the length of the campaign, telling them only it was “not going to be short or simple”. The jets used GPS- and laser-guided Paveway IV bombs to hit the wellheads, in an attempt to cut IS’s oil supply and its revenue from oil sales.

In total eight air strikes were carried out, and reports suggest that they were all successful.

The MoD said the deployment of the Typhoons plus an extra two Tornados offered a significant increase in strike capacity to both the RAF and the wider coalition air campaign.

The number of fighter jets based at Akrotiri has been bolstered ahead of further sorties in Syria and continued raids in Iraq against IS, which is also known as Isis, Isil and Daesh.

“Last night saw the full force of the RAF”.

He also argued the case for air strikes did not include “deposing” Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and added “the strategy of the government would do nothing to resolve the problem of homegrown jihadist elements here in the United Kingdom – and arguably could make the situation worse”.

Advertisement

It started as a civil war between President Bashar al-Assad’s government forces and opposition supporters, but jihadist group IS has moved into the country from Iraq and claimed territory.

RAF fighter jets launch second oilfield attack as Defence Secretary visits base in Cyprus