6 January 2015  Ministry of Defence

At the request of the Iraqi government, British forces have taken further action against ISIL terrorist targets.

In the early hours of 2 January, a Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 armed reconnaissance patrol located an ISIL armoured personnel carrier to the east of Al Qaim, and conducted a successful strike with a Brimstone missile. Later that day, a coalition surveillance aircraft observed ISIL positions concealed within woods north-west of Ramadi and another Tornado mounted an attack with two Paveway IV precision guided bombs.

On 4 January, an RAF Reaper, working in support of Iraqi army units, identified an ISIL vehicle and engaged it with a Hellfire missile. Shortly afterwards, the Reaper discovered an ISIL position close by, and attacked this with another Hellfire.

Reaper and Tornado missions were also flown on the morning of 5 January. Tornados again patrolled the Al Qaim area, where they destroyed an ISIL excavator vehicle, used to construct fortified positions, with a Brimstone, while a Reaper, scouting ahead of Iraqi troops, spotted an armoured vehicle being moved by ISIL on a heavy equipment transporter. A Hellfire missile scored a direct hit on the armoured vehicle, another Hellfire destroyed the transporter itself, and a third missile struck an ISIL position nearby.

On 23 December, Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s, operating out of RAF Akrotiri, conducted an armed reconnaissance mission near Al Qaim, close to the border between Syria and Iraq. 4 ISIL armed pick-up trucks were identified, widely dispersed, near a quarry. They were successfully engaged using a combination of Brimstone missiles and Paveway IV guided bombs. Wednesday saw both Tornados and Reaper aircraft providing support to the Kurdish peshmerga, as they consolidated their recent victories over ISIL. A Tornado patrol identified an ISIL armed vehicle at a large former Iraqi military compound, and attacked it with a Brimstone missile. Meanwhile, a Reaper provided overwatch to a US air strike that destroyed a truck which had been converted into a large suicide bomb vehicle, then fired a Hellfire missile at a pick-up truck being used by ISIL to build a road-block of burning tyres.

On Christmas Day, a Tornado patrol returned to the Al Qaim area, tasked with investigating a checkpoint used by ISIL to stop the local civilian population from moving around freely. 2 Brimstone missiles were used to attack a fortified position and a shipping container which had been converted into a guard room. A second pair of GR4s operated further east, and located two armed ISIL vehicles concealed amidst trees on farmland close to the Euphrates, south of the Hadithah Dam. Both vehicles were struck with Brimstones. On 28 December, an RAF Reaper again provided support to the Kurdish peshmerga in the north of the country. Having conducted overwatch for a coalition air strike on 3 ISIL buildings known to have been fortified as heavy machine-gun positions, the Reaper then mounted 2 strikes of its own using Hellfire missiles against enemy fighting positions.

These air operations have been supported throughout by an RAF Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker, whilst a British Army training team has continued its work, alongside coalition partners, to provide infantry training to the peshmerga volunteers.

23 December: The ISIL terrorist organisation has suffered further losses in Iraq thanks to Royal Air Force air strikes delivered at the request of the Iraqi Government. In Anbar province, where the Iraqi army is conducting a number of offensive operations, RAF Tornados GR4s on an armed reconnaissance mission were tasked to investigate a group of vehicles near Ar Rutbah in the early hours of Saturday morning. Four ISIL armoured personnel carriers were identified and successfully attacked with Brimstone missiles.

19 December: Remotely piloted Reapers flew armed reconnaissance missions over Iraq in support of both the Iraqi Army and the Kurdish peshmerga. One Reaper patrol was tasked to locate a group of ISIL terrorists who had fired on advancing Iraqi troops. The Reaper spotted the terrorists planting a number of improvised explosive devices and successfully attacked with a Hellfire missile. In northern Iraq, the Kurdish peshmerga, trained and equipped by a British Army training team, have had notable success in a major offensive across a wide swathe of territory. They are reported to have broken ISIL’s long-running siege of Yazidi minorities on Mount Sinjar.

18 December: In recent weeks, Iraqi ground forces have made a number of successful advances against ISIL. The Kurdish peshmerga, trained, equipped and supported from the air by the international coalition, has liberated several key towns, including Rabiyah on the Syrian border, and Zumar. On Friday, 2 RAF Tornados used Paveway IV precision guided bombs to attack a fortified ISIL compound. The early hours of Wednesday morning saw UK Tornados join other coalition aircraft as the peshmerga mounted a further offensive. The same Tornado patrol then flew 150 miles south to provide support for an additional offensive against ISIL in Anbar province. sts to deny local people any freedom of movement along a major road.

12 December: RAF aircraft operating in support of Iraqi ground forces have seen further action against the ISIL terrorist network. A RAF Reaper conducted armed reconnaissance in northern Iraq, where ISIL are facing increasing pressure from the Kurdish peshmerga. The Reaper’s mission focused on engineering equipment being used by the terrorists to construct defensive positions to hold up peshmerga advances. The remotely piloted aircraft was able to locate 2 of these engineer vehicles, and attacked them with Hellfire missiles. Further south, another Reaper identified an ISIL armed pick-up truck and engaged it with a Hellfire missile. RAF Tornado GR4s were also providing surveillance for the Iraqi army in Anbar province, and were able to assist Iraqi soldiers engaged in a firefight with terrorists near Ramadi. Paveway precision guided bombs and Brimstone missiles were used to deal with ISIL fighting positions and 3 vehicles, including 2 armoured personnel carriers.

10 December: Iraqi troops fighting the ISIL terrorist organisation have received further air support from the international coalition, including the RAF. Early on Wednesday RAF Tornado GR4s attacked an ISIL storage compound near Rawah in Anbar province with a Paveway IV precision guided bomb. In northern Iraq, a British Army team, working with other coalition partners, continues to provide infantry training to the Kurdish peshmerga, who have already succeeded in liberating a number of areas from ISIL’s control, including the towns of Rabiyah and Zumar.

9 December: Military support to the Iraqi government in their fight against ISIL continues, with RAF aircraft conducting further strikes overnight. In the north-west of the country, a patrol of RAF Tornado GR4s was tasked by coalition air controllers to investigate an ISIL site near Mount Sinjar. The aircraft identified an observation tower and guard room in use by the terrorists at a checkpoint controlling a road junction. These were being used to deny the local population any freedom of movement and both were attacked with Brimstone missiles. Elsewhere in Iraq, a RAF Reaper providing surveillance for Iraqi ground forces observed a hostile armoured personnel carrier and successfully attacked it with a Hellfire missile.

8 December: RAF Tornado GR4s have struck further ISIL targets over the weekend while flying in support of Iraqi ground forces. On Friday, an armed reconnaissance patrol of GR4s investigated a reported ISIL position near Rawa in western Iraq. An observation tower and nearby equipment were located and attacked with Paveway IV guided bombs. In the early hours of Saturday morning, a further GR4 patrol in the same area also successfully attacked an ISIL armoured personnel carrier using a Brimstone missile. On Sunday, 2 Tornados were on reconnaissance when Iraqi troops reported coming under fire from terrorists in the vicinity of Bayji. The RAF aircraft responded rapidly, and when they arrived on the scene were able to spot the ISIL position. Since the target was in a built-up area, a very careful assessment was made in cooperation with another coalition surveillance aircraft, and the aircrew used the small and extremely precise Brimstone missile to carry out a successful attack which struck the enemy position. Early this morning, a fourth Tornado patrol operating in north-western Iraq, around Mount Sinjar, located 2 ISIL armoured personnel carriers and hit them with Brimstone missiles.

3 December: RAF aircraft struck a large concentration of ISIL vehicles last night as the UK continued its work as part of an international coalition in the fight against terrorism. Two RAF Tornado GR4s were tasked to investigate reported ISIL activity near Fallujah. A group of ISIL vehicles, including armed pick-up trucks and lorries, was identified and, having confirmed that there were no civilians or friendly forces in close proximity, the jets dropped a cluster of Paveway IV precision guided bombs on the vehicle group. A single truck appeared to survive the initial strike, but was accounted for by a Brimstone missile. A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft also saw action over Iraq, attacking an ISIL vehicle with a Hellfire missile. Combined with the targeted military action in northern Iraq, a British Army training team continues to provide infantry training to Kurdish peshmerga.

1 December: A Tornado GR4 patrol investigated a reported ISIL compound near Tal Afar in north-western Iraq and found a group of armoured personnel carriers. These were successfully attacked using Brimstone missiles. A further pair of Tornado GR4s came to the support of Iraqi forces engaged in a major firefight with ISIL near Tikrit. Two terrorist positions were identified and the precision of the Brimstone missile system allowed both targets to be engaged without risk to friendly forces. Meanwhile, an RAF Reaper remotely piloted aircraft on a separate patrol was able to attack 3 ISIL positions with Hellfire missiles. Another Reaper conducted a reconnaissance patrol in northern Iraq. Two ISIL positions and a vehicle were located by the Reaper’s crew, allowing coalition fast jets to conduct strikes on each in turn. The Reaper then identified a further ISIL position and engaged it with 1 of its own Hellfire missiles.

A view of Baghdad at night from a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft during a mission over Iraq.

10 December 2014 news.defence.gov.au

One of Australia’s contributions to the Coalition air campaign against ISIL is the Air Task Group’s E-7A Early Warning and Control ‘Wedgetail’ aircraft.

Deployed on Operation OKRA, the E-7A Wedgetail aircraft missions entail controlling the ‘battle management areas’ that cover the majority of the airspace above Iraq.

Commander of Australia’s Air Task Group Air Commodore Steve Roberton praised the skills of the crews who regularly manage over 80 combat aircraft during a single mission.

Read more

18 December 2014 Ministry of Defence

British forces have continued to conduct air operations to assist the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIL.

Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR4s have again struck ISIL terrorists in Iraq over the last few days. In recent weeks, Iraqi ground forces have made a number of successful advances against ISIL. The Kurdish peshmerga, trained, equipped and supported from the air by the international coalition, has liberated several key towns, including Rabiyah on the Syrian border, and Zumar.

On Friday, 2 RAF Tornados used Paveway IV precision guided bombs to attack a fortified ISIL compound.

The early hours of Wednesday morning saw UK Tornados join other coalition aircraft as the peshmerga mounted a further offensive.

They conducted a carefully coordinated attack, again using Paveway IV bombs, on a line of trenches, bunkers and gun emplacements constructed by ISIL between Mosul and Tal Afar in an attempt to hold up the Kurdish advance.

The same Tornado patrol then flew 150 miles south to provide support for an additional offensive against ISIL in Anbar province.

They were tasked to destroy a checkpoint near Rawah, used by the terrorists to deny local people any freedom of movement along a major road.

An attack was conducted with a Brimstone missile on a guard room and equipment store used by those manning the checkpoint.

12 December: RAF aircraft operating in support of Iraqi ground forces have seen further action against the ISIL terrorist network. A RAF Reaper conducted armed reconnaissance in northern Iraq, where ISIL are facing increasing pressure from the Kurdish peshmerga. The Reaper’s mission focused on engineering equipment being used by the terrorists to construct defensive positions to hold up peshmerga advances. The remotely piloted aircraft was able to locate 2 of these engineer vehicles, and attacked them with Hellfire missiles. Further south, another Reaper identified an ISIL armed pick-up truck and engaged it with a Hellfire missile. RAF Tornado GR4s were also providing surveillance for the Iraqi army in Anbar province, and were able to assist Iraqi soldiers engaged in a firefight with terrorists near Ramadi. Paveway precision guided bombs and Brimstone missiles were used to deal with ISIL fighting positions and 3 vehicles, including 2 armoured personnel carriers.

10 December: Iraqi troops fighting the ISIL terrorist organisation have received further air support from the international coalition, including the RAF. Early on Wednesday RAF Tornado GR4s attacked an ISIL storage compound near Rawah in Anbar province with a Paveway IV precision guided bomb. In northern Iraq, a British Army team, working with other coalition partners, continues to provide infantry training to the Kurdish peshmerga, who have already succeeded in liberating a number of areas from ISIL’s control, including the towns of Rabiyah and Zumar.

9 December: Military support to the Iraqi government in their fight against ISIL continues, with RAF aircraft conducting further strikes overnight. In the north-west of the country, a patrol of RAF Tornado GR4s was tasked by coalition air controllers to investigate an ISIL site near Mount Sinjar. The aircraft identified an observation tower and guard room in use by the terrorists at a checkpoint controlling a road junction. These were being used to deny the local population any freedom of movement and both were attacked with Brimstone missiles. Elsewhere in Iraq, a RAF Reaper providing surveillance for Iraqi ground forces observed a hostile armoured personnel carrier and successfully attacked it with a Hellfire missile.

8 December: RAF Tornado GR4s have struck further ISIL targets over the weekend while flying in support of Iraqi ground forces. On Friday, an armed reconnaissance patrol of GR4s investigated a reported ISIL position near Rawa in western Iraq. An observation tower and nearby equipment were located and attacked with Paveway IV guided bombs. In the early hours of Saturday morning, a further GR4 patrol in the same area also successfully attacked an ISIL armoured personnel carrier using a Brimstone missile. On Sunday, 2 Tornados were on reconnaissance when Iraqi troops reported coming under fire from terrorists in the vicinity of Bayji. The RAF aircraft responded rapidly, and when they arrived on the scene were able to spot the ISIL position. Since the target was in a built-up area, a very careful assessment was made in cooperation with another coalition surveillance aircraft, and the aircrew used the small and extremely precise Brimstone missile to carry out a successful attack which struck the enemy position. Early this morning, a fourth Tornado patrol operating in north-western Iraq, around Mount Sinjar, located 2 ISIL armoured personnel carriers and hit them with Brimstone missiles.

3 December: RAF aircraft struck a large concentration of ISIL vehicles last night as the UK continued its work as part of an international coalition in the fight against terrorism. Two RAF Tornado GR4s were tasked to investigate reported ISIL activity near Fallujah. A group of ISIL vehicles, including armed pick-up trucks and lorries, was identified and, having confirmed that there were no civilians or friendly forces in close proximity, the jets dropped a cluster of Paveway IV precision guided bombs on the vehicle group. A single truck appeared to survive the initial strike, but was accounted for by a Brimstone missile. A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft also saw action over Iraq, attacking an ISIL vehicle with a Hellfire missile. Combined with the targeted military action in northern Iraq, a British Army training team continues to provide infantry training to Kurdish peshmerga.

1 December: A Tornado GR4 patrol investigated a reported ISIL compound near Tal Afar in north-western Iraq and found a group of armoured personnel carriers. These were successfully attacked using Brimstone missiles. A further pair of Tornado GR4s came to the support of Iraqi forces engaged in a major firefight with ISIL near Tikrit. Two terrorist positions were identified and the precision of the Brimstone missile system allowed both targets to be engaged without risk to friendly forces. Meanwhile, an RAF Reaper remotely piloted aircraft on a separate patrol was able to attack 3 ISIL positions with Hellfire missiles. Another Reaper conducted a reconnaissance patrol in northern Iraq. Two ISIL positions and a vehicle were located by the Reaper’s crew, allowing coalition fast jets to conduct strikes on each in turn. The Reaper then identified a further ISIL position and engaged it with 1 of its own Hellfire missiles.

ARABIAN GULF (Dec. 11, 2014) Lt. Cmdr. Wes Smith serves as a shooter as he launches an F/A-18C Hornet from the Mighty Shrikes of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 94 on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, strike operations in Iraq and Syria as directed, maritime security operations, and theater security cooperation efforts in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Scott Fenaroli/Released)

Dec 16, 2014 Eric Schmitt - timesofindia.indiatimes.com

ABOARD THE U.S.S. CARL VINSON, in the Persian Gulf: More than a dozen Navy F/A-18 warplanes roar off this aircraft carrier every day to attack Islamic State targets in support of Iraqi troops battling to regain ground lost to the militants in June.

These Navy pilots face an array of lethal risks during their six-hour round-trip missions. Surface-to-air missiles and other enemy fire lurk below, as the downing of an Iraqi military helicopter late Friday underscored. About 60 percent of the aircrews are still learning the ropes on their first combat tours.

The United States-led coalition improvises how the Iraqis call in airstrikes: Iraqi troops talk by radio to American controllers at Iraqi command centers, who in turn talk to the Navy pilots to help pinpoint what to hit. Senior commanders have said that placing American spotters with the Iraqi troops would be more effective, but they have yet to recommend that step knowing that President Obama opposes it.

But in recent days, the Iraqis have been advancing, forcing ISIS to fight more in the open. The airstrikes are severing the militants' supply lines, killing some top leaders and crimping their ability to pump and ship the oil that they control.

"It wasn't going so well there for a while, but the momentum seems to have reversed," said Cmdr. Eric Doyle, a 41-year-old F/A-18 Hornet pilot from Houston who also flew combat missions in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.


Read more

MOSCOU, 16 décembre - RIA Novosti

Au moins 2.700 personnes, pour la plupart des soldats, sont officiellement portées disparues en Irak depuis le début de l'offensive du groupe de l'Etat islamique (EI) en juin, a annoncé lundi soir le ministère irakien des Droits de l'homme dans un communiqué

Plus de la moitié de ces disparus sont des soldats portés manquants après l'assaut de l'EI contre la base de Speicher, près de Tikrit (nord), il y a six mois.

"Le nombre de disparus de Speicher atteint 1.660", indique le communiqué.

487 autres personnes ont disparu après la prise de la prison de Badush, près de Mossoul, par les djihadistes. Et 554 personnes, dont 38 femmes, sont portées disparues dans d'autres régions, selon le ministère.

Ce dernier a précisé que ce relevé avait été établi sur la base des requêtes déposées par les proches des disparus.

9 December 2014 Ministry of Defence

British forces have continued to conduct air operations to assist the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIL.

Military support to the Iraqi government in their fight against ISIL continues, with Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft conducting further strikes overnight.

In the north-west of the country, a patrol of RAF Tornado GR4s was tasked by coalition air controllers to investigate an ISIL site near Mount Sinjar.

The aircraft identified an observation tower and guard room in use by the terrorists at a checkpoint controlling a road junction.

These were being used to deny the local population any freedom of movement and both were attacked with Brimstone missiles.

Elsewhere in Iraq, a RAF Reaper providing surveillance for Iraqi ground forces observed a hostile armoured personnel carrier and successfully attacked it with a Hellfire missile.

8 December: RAF Tornado GR4s have struck further ISIL targets over the weekend while flying in support of Iraqi ground forces. On Friday, an armed reconnaissance patrol of GR4s investigated a reported ISIL position near Rawa in western Iraq. An observation tower and nearby equipment were located and attacked with Paveway IV guided bombs. In the early hours of Saturday morning, a further GR4 patrol in the same area also successfully attacked an ISIL armoured personnel carrier using a Brimstone missile. On Sunday, 2 Tornados were on reconnaissance when Iraqi troops reported coming under fire from terrorists in the vicinity of Bayji. The RAF aircraft responded rapidly, and when they arrived on the scene were able to spot the ISIL position. Since the target was in a built-up area, a very careful assessment was made in cooperation with another coalition surveillance aircraft, and the aircrew used the small and extremely precise Brimstone missile to carry out a successful attack which struck the enemy position. Early this morning, a fourth Tornado patrol operating in north-western Iraq, around Mount Sinjar, located 2 ISIL armoured personnel carriers and hit them with Brimstone missiles.

3 December: RAF aircraft struck a large concentration of ISIL vehicles last night as the UK continued its work as part of an international coalition in the fight against terrorism. Two RAF Tornado GR4s were tasked to investigate reported ISIL activity near Fallujah. A group of ISIL vehicles, including armed pick-up trucks and lorries, was identified and, having confirmed that there were no civilians or friendly forces in close proximity, the jets dropped a cluster of Paveway IV precision guided bombs on the vehicle group. A single truck appeared to survive the initial strike, but was accounted for by a Brimstone missile. A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft also saw action over Iraq, attacking an ISIL vehicle with a Hellfire missile. Combined with the targeted military action in northern Iraq, a British Army training team continues to provide infantry training to Kurdish peshmerga.

1 December: A Tornado GR4 patrol investigated a reported ISIL compound near Tal Afar in north-western Iraq and found a group of armoured personnel carriers. These were successfully attacked using Brimstone missiles. A further pair of Tornado GR4s came to the support of Iraqi forces engaged in a major firefight with ISIL near Tikrit. Two terrorist positions were identified and the precision of the Brimstone missile system allowed both targets to be engaged without risk to friendly forces. Meanwhile, an RAF Reaper remotely piloted aircraft on a separate patrol was able to attack 3 ISIL positions with Hellfire missiles. Another Reaper conducted a reconnaissance patrol in northern Iraq. Two ISIL positions and a vehicle were located by the Reaper’s crew, allowing coalition fast jets to conduct strikes on each in turn. The Reaper then identified a further ISIL position and engaged it with 1 of its own Hellfire missiles.

Des avions de chasse F-4 Phantom de l'armée de l'air iranienne ont effectué ces derniers jours des raids dans la province irakienne frontalière de Diyala.

04/12/2014 Par Georges Malbrunot, Service infographie du Figaro

Les États-Unis qualifient de «positives» les premières frappes iraniennes menées dans l'est de l'Irak.

Un mois à peine après avoir assuré le gouvernement de Bagdad que l'Iran mettrait «toutes ses capacités à la disposition de l'Irak» pour lutter contre les djihadistes de Daech, la République islamique a tenu sa promesse. Pour la première fois, des avions F-4 Phantom iraniens ont lancé ces derniers jours des raids aériens en territoire irakien voisin. Les cibles visées dans la province frontalière de Diyala ne doivent rien au hasard. En investissant une partie de cette région dans la foulée de sa conquête de Mossoul et du «pays sunnite» à partir de juin, Daech (l'État islamique ou EI) a porté la menace à la frontière de l'Iran. Ces derniers mois, d'insistantes rumeurs ont même fait état d'infiltration d'éléments de Daech en territoire iranien.

Suite de l’article

30.11.2014 Le Monde.fr

Le premier ministre irakien Haidar al-Abadi a annoncé, dimanche 30 novembre, une intensification de la lutte contre la corruption, après avoir découvert que le pays payait des salaires à 50 000 soldats fictifs, représentant l'équivalent de près de quatre divisions.

« Ces dernières semaines, M. Abadi a pris des mesures sévères pour révéler l'existence de ces soldats fantômes et lutter contre le problème à la racine », a précisé le porte-parole de M. Abadi, Rafid Jabouri. L'enquête a débuté par un décompte rigoureux des effectifs durant la dernière distribution des salaires. Des soldats ont confirmé que les salaires avaient été versés récemment, avec un retard de deux mois, sans qu'aucune justification ne leur ait été alors donnée.

« Il y a deux sortes » de soldats fictifs, a expliqué un officier. « Dans le premier cas : chaque officier est autorisé, par exemple, à avoir cinq gardes. Il en garde deux, en renvoie trois à la maison et garde leur salaire ou un grand pourcentage de celui-ci ». « Le deuxième cas (...) a lieu au niveau de la brigade. Un commandant de brigade a en général 30, 40 soldats ou plus, qui restent à la maison ou n'existent pas ».

Suite de l'article

November 28, 2014 U.S. Central Command News Release # 20141119

Tampa, Fla. - U.S. military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria Nov. 26-28 using bomber and remotely-piloted aircraft to conduct two airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted thirteen airstrikes in Iraq Nov. 26-28 using fighter, attack, and remotely-piloted aircraft against ISIL terrorists.

In Syria, an airstrike near Kobani struck an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL staging area. Near Aleppo, an airstrike struck a tactical ISIL unit.

In Iraq, five airstrikes near Kirkuk destroyed five ISIL bunkers, four ISIL vehicles, a bulldozer and an ISIL fighting position and also struck a large ISIL unit and four tactical ISIL units. Near Mosul, two airstrikes destroyed five ISIL vehicles and a heavy weapon, and also struck two ISIL units. Near Ramadi, an airstrike struck a tactical ISIL unit. Near Ar Rutbah, an airstrike destroyed seven ISIL vehicles. Near Fallujah, an airstrike struck a tactical ISIL unit. Near Al Qaim, two airstrikes destroyed a fighting position and an armored vehicle. An airstrike in Bayji struck an ISIL tactical unit, an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL occupied building.

All aircraft returned to base safely. Airstrike assessments are based on initial reports.

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the terrorist group ISIL and the threat they pose to Iraq, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project power and conduct operations. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the U.S., Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition Nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the U.S., Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

21 novembre 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

Bagdad - Les jihadistes du groupe Etat islamique (EI) ont lancé vendredi une nouvelle offensive pour prendre la totalité de la ville irakienne de Ramadi, à une centaine de km à l'ouest de Bagdad, selon des sources de sécurité.

Le groupe extrémiste sunnite contrôle certains quartiers de Ramadi et le nouvel assaut vise à s'emparer du centre de la ville située dans la province à majorité sunnite d'Al-Anbar conquise en grande partie par les jihadistes.

Alors que le centre-ville était visé par des tirs de mortier des combattants extrémistes, des affrontements ont éclaté tout autour de Ramadi, l'une des dernières zones urbaines encore partiellement sous le contrôle des autorités à Al-Anbar.

L'EI a lancé une attaque surprise depuis quatre secteurs: le nord, l'ouest, l'est et le sud, a expliqué un lieutenant de police à l'AFP, en précisant que les jihadistes avaient notamment fait exploser des voitures piégées, ciblant les forces de sécurité.

Des combats sont en cours autour de la ville, une série d'attaques au mortier a visé des secteurs à l'intérieur, notamment le bâtiment du conseil provincial et un poste de police, a-t-il ajouté.

Un capitaine de police, Qoussay al-Doulaimi, a pour sa part indiqué que les tirs de mortier étaient continus depuis minuit.

Selon un membre du conseil provincial, Azzal al-Fahdawi, l'EI a pris le contrôle d'un quartier de l'est de Ramadi, Madiq, mais la police, l'armée et les forces tribales (alliées) sont parvenues à stopper l'attaque et encerclent les insurgés dans ce secteur.

Les forces de sécurité ont besoin d'aide. Nous n'avons pas encore reçu de soutien de l'armée de l'air ou (des avions de) la coalition internationale menée par les Etats-Unis, a-t-il déploré.

Le chef de la police dans le quartier de Madiq, le colonel Majed al-Fahdawi, a été tué par un tireur embusqué pendant l'attaque, selon un officier et un chef tribal.

Les jihadistes avaient lancé ces derniers mois des assauts pour tenter de prendre totalement Ramadi sans parvenir à s'emparer du centre-ville.

La quasi-totalité de la province d'Al-Anbar, qui jouxte l'Arabie saoudite, la Syrie et la Jordanie, est désormais contrôlée par les jihadistes de l'EI.

Une partie était tombée entre leurs mains dès janvier. Les combattants extrémistes sunnites ont encore étendu leur influence à la faveur de leur offensive fulgurante lancée en juin, et d'une série d'attaques ces dernières semaines.

Ces jihadistes contrôlent aussi de larges pans de territoire dans le nord irakien, ainsi que de vastes régions en Syrie voisine en proie à la guerre.

Au début de l'offensive des jihadistes en Irak en juin, les forces irakiennes avaient été incapables de résister à leur avancée, mais elles ont ensuite tenté de regagner du terrain avec l'aide des combattants kurdes et chiites et des membres de tribus ralliées au gouvernement, sans oublier le soutien aérien crucial des Etats-Unis.

Ces dernières semaines, elles ont enregistré quelques succès avec la reconquête notable de Baïji, plus importante ville reprise à l'EI, et en brisant le siège de la principale raffinerie du pays, toute proche.

Last updated: 17 November 2014 , Ministry of Defence

British forces have continued to conduct air operations to assist the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIL.

Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornados and Reapers, operating as part of the international coalition in support of the Iraqi Government, have conducted further strikes against ISIL.

On Thursday evening, Kurdish peshmerga reported coming under fire from a dug-in machine-gun position. An RAF Reaper remotely piloted air system succeeded in locating the ISIL position, and attacked it with a Hellfire missile. The crew operating the Reaper then identified further ISIL positions, allowing another coalition aircraft to conduct an attack.

Before the end of its patrol, the Reaper crew used another Hellfire to engage an ISIL checkpoint set up to control a road.

Elsewhere in Iraq, another Reaper, investigating reported ISIL activity in response to advancing Iraqi forces, identified terrorists boarding a truck. Despite the vehicle moving off at high speed, the Reaper crew were able to hit it with a Hellfire.

And on Saturday night, Tornado GR4s conducted an armed reconnaissance patrol over western and northern Iraq, supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker. In the western desert, they were tasked to strike an ISIL communications vehicle, which coalition forces had previously identified. A single Brimstone missile was used to conduct an attack.

Later in the patrol, the Tornados were called north to the Mosul area to support Kurdish peshmerga who were under fire from ISIL heavy weapons. Paveway precision guided bombs were used to hit a mortar and firing positions, as well as a bulldozer which the terrorists were using to construct defences against the peshmerga’s advance.

In northern Iraq, a British army team continues to provide training to the peshmerga as part of a wider programme of training and assistance provided by the international community to both the Iraqi and Kurdish armed forces.

RAF transport aircraft provide logistic support, having delivered numerous deliveries of humanitarian aid and military equipment from both the UK and on behalf of other Coalition partners.

13 November - last night a RAF Reaper RPAS was involved in a coalition air strike in the Kirkuk region. The Reaper had been tasked to conduct reconnaissance in an area where Iraqi forces had encountered ISIL fighters. The operators were able to use the Reaper’s advanced systems to identify a number of ISIL positions, enabling another coalition aircraft to attack a command post, bunker, observation post and 2 armed pick-up trucks. They then identified a further 3 positions, and, having carefully checked the area, conducted attacks using the Reaper’s own Hellfire missiles. Initial analysis indicates that the attacks were successful. Other RAF aircraft also continue to fly missions over Iraq, including Tornado GR4s in the armed reconnaissance role, and surveillance, tanker and transport aircraft. A British Army team remains in Erbil, providing training assistance requested by the Kurdish peshmerga.

10 November - saw the first air strike by a RAF Reaper RPAS. A series of coalition missions were conducted near Bayji, north of Baghdad, where ISIL terrorists were laying improvised explosive devices. The Reaper, using procedures identical to those of manned aircraft, successfully attacked the terrorists using a Hellfire missile. In addition, 2 RAF Tornado GR4s used a Brimstone missile to successfully destroy a shipping container used by the terrorists to store equipment near Al Anbar, west of Baghdad.

11.06.2014 par Michel Goya – la Voie de l’Epée

A la fin de 2006, la position américaine en Irak est critique. La plupart des Alliés de la coalition se replient et la tentation politique est forte aux Etats-Unis de faire de même. Les Américains sont finalement sauvés par les erreurs de l’Etat islamique en Irak (EEI) qui, par son intransigeance et sa brutalité, a provoqué l’hostilité des organisations nationalistes et des tribus sunnites. Les Américains innovent en acceptant une alliance avec ces anciens ennemis regroupés dans le mouvement du Sahwa (Réveil). Ils déploient ensuite des moyens considérables (dix brigades dans la seule région de Bagdad) qui s’associent à l’armée irakienne et aux miliciens du Sahwa pour reprendre le contrôle des rues de Bagdad. Cette armée des rues est alors bien loin des Joint Vision 2010 et 2020, toutes de haute-technologie, développés à la fin des années 1990. Il faut quand même dix mois d’effort et encore 600 morts pour chasser l’EII de Bagdad et en faire une organisation résiduelle, mais toujours présente, dans les franges nord de l’Irak arabe.

Cette campagne est la dernière menée de cette manière par les forces américaines. Face à l’armée du Mahdi, qui tient encore solidement l’immense quartier chiite de Sadr-City (deux millions d’habitants dans un rectangle de 5 km sur 7) au nord de Bagdad le mode d’action utilisé est l’inverse de celui qui a été utilisé contre l’EEI. Perfectionnant les méthodes déjà utilisées en 2004 à Nadjaf contre les mêmes Mahdistes, il ne s’agit pas d’un étouffement par un quadrillage étroit mais d’un combat d’usure mené par des feux précis à distance et cherchant à influencer les décisions du leader adverse, avec qui, contrairement à l’EII, il est possible de négocier. Les Américains rejoignent ainsi la nouvelle approche israélienne. A partir de la fin mars 2008, Sadr-City est bouclé par un mur et les combattants chiites y sont traqués pendant plusieurs semaines par un puissant complexe « reconnaissance-frappes ». Le 12 mai, Moqtada al-Sadr, le leader mahdiste, déclare le quartier ouvert à l’armée irakienne et se réfugie en Iran. L’armée du Mahdi a perdu plus d’un millier de combattants, pour 22 Américains et 17 irakiens, mais, même en sommeil, elle existe toujours et continue à jouer un rôle politique important.

Ces victoires tactiques et le retournement d’alliance de l’ennemi irakien sunnite, le plus difficile de tous, donnent suffisamment de marges de manœuvre politiques pour négocier un repli honorable en 2010. La victoire militaire a été acquise au bout de cinq ans, par défaut au prix de pertes (4 500 morts et 32 000 blessés graves) plusieurs fois supérieures au cumul de tout ce que l’armée professionnelle américaine a pu connaître depuis 1970. Les groupes sunnites de guérilla ou l’armée, chiite, du Mahdi, plus proche du modèle du Hezbollah ont été bien plus efficaces que les armées régulières dans la manière de réduire ou d’éviter la « « supériorité informationnelle » américain et donc aussi sa puissance de feu.

Le corps expéditionnaire américain a été contraint de se transformer en force de contre-guérilla où le fantassin s'est révélé le système d’arme le plus performant. Comme après la guerre du Vietnam, l’effort américain, y compris financier, a cependant été tel qu’il dissuade cependant de recommencer l’expérience de la guerre au milieu des populations arabes. La présence militaire américaine reste malgré tout très forte dans les monarchies du Golfe mais elle s’exprime de manière indirecte à leur profit, comme au Yémen, mais pas en Irak.

La méthode de l’action à distance est reprise par les Israéliens à la fin de 2008  avec l’opération Plomb durci contre le Hamas à Gaza. Pendant 22 jours, le territoire ceinturé de Gaza est frappé par des milliers de raids aériens et de tirs d’artillerie, puis traversé de quelques raids blindés, tandis que le Hamas tente de frapper, également à distance, la population civile israélienne. Comme à Sadr-City, le résultat tactique est atteint, le Hamas est affaibli et cesse ses tirs de roquettes, par ailleurs de plus en plus inefficaces face au système de défense israélien. Les pertes sont limitées à dix morts israéliens contre 50 à 80 fois plus pour l’ennemi mais comme en Irak il n’y a là rien de décisif. L’ennemi est toujours présent et peut même, par sa simple survie face à une grande puissance militaire, proclamer aussi la victoire. Les Israéliens réitèrent avec l’opération Pilier de défense en 2012 avec des résultats similaires quoique de moindre échelle.

En mars 2011, en Libye, une nouvelle Coalition occidentale renoue avec la guerre interétatique, non pas sur le modèle des guerres contre Saddam Hussein mais plutôt sur celui de la lutte contre l’Etat taliban, dix ans plus tôt. Les nouvelles contraintes diplomatiques mais aussi les réticences de beaucoup de nations à engager des troupes au sol imposent une action de combat à distance, presque entièrement aérienne, combinée à l’aide des groupes rebelles au colonel Kadhafi. En octobre, la victoire est acquise avec la prise de Tripoli puis de Syrte et surtout la mort de Kadhafi. Il aura donc fallu six fois plus de temps à l’OTAN, l’organisation militaire la plus puissante de tous les temps avec 80 % du budget de défense mondial, pour parvenir à un résultat similaire à celui obtenu en octobre 2001 lorsque les Taliban ont été chassés d’Afghanistan. L’ennemi s’est adapté rapidement selon les procédés habituels, à la suprématie aérienne des Alliés et les frappes n’a pas eu plus d’effet sur la volonté de Kadhafi que celle des Israéliens sur la direction du Hezbollah en 2006. La méthode est donc assez aléatoire. Les Alliés constataient ensuite que dans un « combat couplé » l’efficacité première vient d’abord de celui qui est au sol et qui mène les actions décisives. Il fallut donc attendre la formation de groupes terrestres rebelles efficaces pour exploiter l’affaiblissement de l’ennemi par les airs. Ce qui a été fait contre Kadhafi ne le sera pas contre le régime d’Assad en Syrie, témoignage des contraintes diplomatiques croissantes et surtout de l’inhibition des Américains, sans qui aucune guerre interétatique d’importance ne peut plus être lancée.

De fait, les groupes islamistes ont remplacé, durablement semble-t-il les Etats arabes comme ennemis actuels ou potentiels des Etats-Unis et de leurs alliés. Ces groupes se développent même à l’intérieur des pays arabes, notamment dans les Etats détruits par les Occidentaux, ou les Etats voisins affaiblis, comme le Mali. La France est finalement la seule nation occidentale à accepter de les y affronter directement, au Nord Mali en janvier 2013. Elle y réussit en renouant avec ses méthodes d’intervention classiques. Une brigade aéroterrestre est déployée en quelques jours et le terrain repris à un ennemi qui avait encore peu d’emprise sur la population locale. La réduction de la base d’AQMI dans les montagnes des Ifoghas ou du MUJAO dans la région de Gao s’apparente ainsi plus à la prise de Falloujah, vide d’habitants, en novembre 2004, qu’au contrôle des rues de Bagdad deux ans plus tard.  De la même l’acceptation du combat rapproché avec une infanterie solide et sa combinaison avec de la puissance de feu indirecte a permis de détruire l’infrastructure ennemie. Malgré les risques pris, la victoire tactique est nette et le coût humain étonnamment réduit avec un soldat français perdu pour 80 ennemis. L’ennemi détruit ou chassé du Mali est cependant modeste, inférieur en volume aux forces rebelles de la seule ville de Falloujah, et toujours présent dans la région. L’opération française s’est transformée à son tour en campagne d’usure à l’échelle du Sahel, en superposition des forces locales et interafricaines fragiles à qui revient le soin de contrôler le terrain. Dans le même temps, c’est l’Etat islamique qui revient sur le devant de la scène en se territorialisant à son tour.

D’un point de vue tactique, ces para-Etats islamiques ont su profiter des réseaux de la mondialisation, notamment des trafics d’armes légère, pour équiper des armées idéologisées. Ils bénéficient maintenant de plus en plus, grâce à des sponsors étrangers puisant eux-mêmes dans l’aide russe, d’une nouvelle génération d’armements légers. C’est entre autre avec ces missiles antichars ou ces RPG-29 servis par une infanterie professionnelle que le Hezbollah a tenu tête à l’armée israélienne en 2006 ou le Hamas à l’été 2014. Associés à une organisation du terrain très poussée et en attendant de nouveaux missiles antiaériens, ils sont devenus particulièrement résistants. Leur capacité offensive anti-civile, par attentats-suicide, roquettes et missiles, est devenue en revanche inopérante face au système défensif israélien (barrière, défense anti-roquettes et anti-missiles). On assiste donc sur le front israélien à une forme de neutralisation réciproque qui ne peut être rompu qu’en acceptant des pertes élevées comme le découvre Tsahal à l’été 2014 en perdant six fois plus de soldats que lors de l’opération Plomb durci six ans plus tôt.

L’Etat islamique, nouvel avatar de l’EII, est la nouvelle organisation djihadiste à parvenir à se territorialiser à partir de 2013 en Syrie et en Irak. Ce groupe se distingue de ses prédécesseurs par sa maîtrise du swarming offensif, à base de troupes motivées et mobiles. L’emploi de petites unités sur pickup se coordonnant spontanément, n’est pas nouveau. Il est simplement rendu possible en Irak par l’absence, nouvelle depuis la départ des Américains, d’une capacité de destruction aérienne massive en particulier par hélicoptères d’attaque. C’est ainsi que l’EI s’est emparé de Mossoul et d’une partie des villes du Tigre alors qu’il procédait plutôt par infiltration sur l’Euphrate. Il y a acquis ressources locales et prestige international mais il est sans doute parvenu aux limites de son expansion. Il n’est pas évident que malgré ses prises matérielles (les Américains avaient pris soin de ne pas équiper l’armée irakienne d’armes d’infanterie sophistiquées), l’EI ait franchi le seuil tactique de la techno-guérilla.

Face à l’EI, le nouvel engagement américain, soutenu par quelques alliés, témoigne surtout d’un embarras tactique. La campagne d’usure qui est lancée manquerait déjà singulièrement de puissance pour imposer une négociation favorable, à l’instar du siège de Sadr-City ou des campagnes contre le Hamas. Elle est totalement inadaptée à l’objectif de destruction pourtant proclamé. La RMA n’est plus ce qu’elle était. Elle ne fait plus peur à des Arabes qui ont su trouver, par essais et erreurs, des moyens de la contrer. Le plus puissant d’entre eux est une forte détermination. La révolution arabe dans les affaires militaires est d’abord une révolution humaine, au sens d'une manière nouvelle de voir le monde, manière que l’on peut qualifier de monstrueuse par de nombreux aspects mais dont on ne peut nier la force.

Italy will send four Tornado aircraft to Iraq to serve in a reconnaissance role.

Nov. 14, 2014 - By TOM KINGTON – Defense News

ROME — Italy will send four Tornado aircraft to join coalition operations against the Islamic State in Iraq, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Friday.

The aircraft, which will be based at Ahmed Al Jaber air base in Kuwait, will be used for reconnaissance missions only, he added.

In a letter sent to the Italian parliament, Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti said the aircraft would be accompanied by 135 support staff.

Pinotti said Italy was also dispatching to Iraq a number of Folgore 80mm anti-tank weapons previously used by the Italian Army.

In October, Italy said it would send a 767 tanker aircraft and two unarmed Predator drones to assist operations against fighters in Iraq, as well as 280 instructors.

Italy also sent a loaded C-130J to Baghdad, for shipment to Erbil, on Sept. 12. On board was a collection of arms worth €1.9 million (US $2.4 million), including 100 MG 42/59 machine guns and 100 12.7 Browning machine guns, plus munitions taken from Italian military stocks.

But there were also 2,000 RPG munitions and 400,000 machine gun rounds taken from a collection of arms and munitions seized in 1994 from a vessel allegedly defying a blockade to ship arms to Serbian fighters during the Balkan wars