UK rules the air in Irak and strike jihadist artillery vehicle.

On April 22, five rockets fired from Iran targeted a US military base in northeastern Syria that was involved in Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS. The attack did not result in any casualties. According to Iraqi security sources, a small truck equipped with a rocket launcher caught fire shortly afterward near the border town of Zummar, while American fighter jets were flying over the area. "We cannot confirm that the truck was bombed by American warplanes without an investigation," a military official told Reuters. On 26 April, the RAF announced to was responsible for this airstrike. 
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RAF typhoon dropping the first Paveway IV GPS/INS guided bomb (Picture source eurofighter.com)

This attack occurred approximately thirty-six hours after a base hosting Shiite paramilitaries from the Hashd al-Shaabi in central Iraq experienced an explosion, followed by a fire, reportedly affecting armored vehicles. Furthermore, the Kataeb Hezbollah militia, also known as the "Party of God Brigades," hinted they would resume actions against US troops due to slow talks between Washington and Baghdad, though they later retracted this statement.

In this context, on April 26, the British Ministry of Defense announced that two Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets thwarted an attack attempt against the anti-ISIS coalition forces in Iraq. Few details were provided about this action, except that one of the aircraft dropped a Paveway IV bomb to destroy a "rocket launcher system."

The Paveway IV is a guided bomb primarily used by British forces, designed to improve precision and reduce collateral damage. It is equipped with laser and GPS guidance systems, allowing for precise strikes even in adverse weather conditions. This 500-pound munition can be equipped with various payloads and is programmable in flight, offering significant tactical flexibility.

The mission of these two Typhoons was part of Operation Shader, the UK's contribution to Operation Inherent Resolve. It remains unclear whether the strike targeted ISIS members or members of an Iraqi Shiite militia. The last time the RAF targeted jihadist positions in Iraq was in May 2023.

According to the latest report by the United Nations expert group monitoring jihadist activities, ISIS continues to "focus its operations around the outskirts of Baghdad and in the provinces of Kirkuk, Diyala, Salahaddin, and Nineveh, using small decentralized cells" and conducts attacks "mainly using light weapons and explosive devices," particularly against "government officials and security services, local officials, civilians, and military facilities."

Meanwhile, airstrikes against ISIS have become very rare in both Iraq and Syria, to the extent that the headquarters of Operation Inherent Resolve no longer provides updates since August 2021. As for the US Central Command for the Middle East and Central Asia (US CENTCOM), its latest statements mainly concern the situation in the Red Sea.

At the same time, for the first time since the Gulf War (1991), when HMS Gloucester shot down a Silkworm cruise missile, a Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Diamond, destroyed a ballistic missile launched from Yemen by Houthi rebels (linked to Iran) aimed at the container ship MV Maersk Yorktown. Like the French frigate Alsace weeks earlier, the British ship used an Aster 30 interceptor missile associated with its Sea Viper system.

Defense News April 2024