Britain is at war: RAF Tornados in the air over Iraq with orders to strike ISIS as SAS teams on the ground prepare to guide arsenal of smart bombs to terrorists' lairs
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Two armed RAF Tornado aircraft, plus a refuelling aircraft,
took off from their base in Cyprus today to target Isis terrorists.
Meanwhile, Britain has bought 20 Tomahawk missiles from the US in
preparation for its bombing campaign.
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Britain is at war: RAF Tornados in the air over Iraq with orders to strike ISIS as SAS teams on the ground prepare to guide arsenal of smart bombs to terrorists' lairs
- Two armed RAF Tornados took off from their base in Cyprus today
- They were armed with 500lb Paveway IV laser guided bombs
- The planes will fly missions aiming to 'decapitate' IS commanders
- They both returned safely to RAF Akrotiri seven hours after taking off
- SAS troops have been in the region identifying potential targets for weeks
- Britain has bought 20 Tomahawk missiles from the US for its campaign
- David Cameron described UK involvement as critical to home security
RAF
warplanes have completed their first mission over Iraq since Parliament
gave the go-ahead for air strikes against Islamic State militants.
Two
Tornado GR4 fighter bombers were seen returning to their base at RAF
Akrotiri in Cyprus seven hours after they took off supported by a
Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft.
Neither plane deployed any of their weapons, but were ready to strike should the order have been given.
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Two Royal Air Force Tornado GR4
aircraft prepare to depart RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, armed with Paveway IV
laser guided bombs, in support of Operation Shader, on Saturday
Britain at war: A Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 aircrew prepares to depart RAF Akrotiri for an armed mission over Iraq
A Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 aircrew
preparing to depart RAF Akrotiri Cyprus ahead of their first combat
mission against Islamic State militants
Servicemen stand near a British Tornado jet preparing to takeoff at RAF Akrotiri
A British tornado fighter jet crew member stands on the jet at RAF Akrotiri
Earlier,
the Ministry of Defence said in a statement: 'We can confirm that,
following parliamentary approval given yesterday, RAF Tornados continue
to fly over Iraq and are now ready to be used in an attack role as and
when appropriate targets are identified.
'For
operational security reasons we will not be providing a running
commentary on movements; we will provide an update on activity when it
is appropriate to do so.'
The two Tornados were armed with Paveway IV laser guided bombs, capable of taking out a small compound.
Each aircraft can carry a maximum of five Paveway bombs.
Six Tornado jets have been based in Cyprus since last month but have so far been restricted to reconnaissance flights.
Prime Minister David Cameron told Sky News:
'We are part of a large international coalition, but the crucial part
of that coalition is that it's led by the Iraqi government, the
legitimate government of Iraq and its security forces.
'We are there to play our part and to help deal with this appalling terrorist organisation.'
Independent Defence Analyst Paul Beaver told MailOnline that the missions over Iraq aren't without risk.
He
said: 'Isis do have the capability to hit aircraft, as they have
surface-to-air missiles and heavy machine guns. But the West is using
precision weapons at range such as the Storm Shadow. They're not capable
of countering those sorts of precision weapons.'
Servicemen walk near a British Tornado jet at RAF Akrotiri
Britain's Air Force Tornado GR4s being armed with the Paveway IV Laser Guided Bomb at RAF Akrotiri
A Royal Navy hunter-killer nuclear submarine carrying Tomahawks is already in place in the region awaiting targets for attack
Meanwhile, Britain has bought 20 Tomahawk missiles from the US in preparation for its bombing campaign.
Costing £1million each, they are fired from submarines and can be computer-programmed to turn corners.
They
have already been fired in the Gulf by the US and are likely to be
among the first weapons used by the British military in Operation
Shader.
The
submarines loiter offshore before going to depth to fire the Tomahawks
which can cover more than 850 miles, can be retargeted in flight and can
loiter above a target for more than two hours.
The
RAF Tornados will fly missions aiming to 'decapitate' IS commanders,
convoys of jihadists fighters and control bunkers during initial air
operations over Iraq.
Special
forces troops have been in the region identifying potential targets for
weeks and will be asked to identify any areas where civilians are being
used as human shields.
An armed Royal Air Force Tornado GR4
(background) departing RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as a Voyager Tanker
(front) taxis for take off in support of Operation Shader on Saturday
Firepower: Paveway IV laser guided bombs at RAF Akrotiri
Mission-ready: A Tornado GR4 being armed with the Paveway IV
There
are fears that IS will try to engineer large civilian casualities for
propaganda purposes. More than 3,000 Yazidi women and hundreds of
civilians are being held in Syria and Iraq by the group.
The
RAF will operate over areas including Baghdad, the giant dams at Mosul
and Haditha, the Sinjar mountains, the IS stronghold of Mosul and the
cities of Irbil and Kirkuk.
The
UK's air war will be run from a bunker on the giant al-Udeid airbase in
Qatar and linked directly to US Central Command. Targets will be chosen
from a list drawn-up by the US military but it is likely the UK jets
will also be used to survey the ground for mobile IS units before being
instructed to strike.
David Cameron, speaking on Saturday
during a visit to a new housing estate in Didcot, described Britain's
involvement in Operation Shader as helping to deal 'with this appalling
terrorist organisation'
The US-led coalition hit Islamic State
group targets in Syria's central province of Homs for the first time
Saturday as it pressed what Washington says are 'near continuous'
strikes, a monitoring group said. Pictured are a pair of U.S Air Force
F-15E Strike Eagles returning from a bombing mission in Syria
An F/A-18F Super Hornet lands aboard
the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, which is supporting U.S.-led
coalition airstrikes on Islamic State group
The guided-missile cruiser USS
Philippine Sea (CG 58) launches a Tomahawk cruise missile to conduct
strikes against ISIL targets as seen from the aircraft carrier USS
George H.W. Bush
British Tomahawk missiles are set to soon join American ones in the fight against the Islamic State terrorists
Special Forces units known as Smash teams have carried out reconnaissance to provide up-to-date information on the jihadistss.
In
some attacks, they will use a process called 'painting a target' to
pinpoint a site to be struck. A laser beam from a portable device is
bounced off a building or military installation from a few hundred yards
– this is detected by the aircraft or a missile sensor, which then
deploys the weapon.
The
Tornados, veterans of both Gulf Wars and Afghanistan, will be armed
with Paveway bombs to target small compounds, Storm Shadow bunker
busters and supersonic Brimstone missiles that can hit moving targets
such as people in cars or on motorbikes.
British
naval assets being used in the operation include HMS Defender, a
state-of-the-art £1billion destroyer thought to be providing protection
for USS George HW Bush, and attack submarine HMS Astute.
Said
by the Royal Navy to be 'more complex than the Space Shuttle', Astute
began operations this year and is capable of firing Tomahawk missiles.
The
US-led coalition hit Islamic State group targets in Syria's central
province of Homs for the first time on Saturday as it pressed what
Washington says are 'near continuous' strikes, a monitoring group said.
The
coalition also targeted IS, also known as Isis, in the town of Minbej,
east of second city Aleppo, for the first time, as well as multiple
targets in the jihadist heartland province of Raqa, the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said.
Observatory
director Rami Abdel Rahman said the targets hit in Homs province were
far away from the front line with forces loyal to President Bashar
al-Assad, who control Homs city, Syria's third largest.
British naval assets being used in
Operation Shader include HMS Defender, a state-of-the-art £1billion
destroyer thought to be providing protection for USS George HW Bush
Attack submarine HMS Astute, said by
the Royal Navy to be 'more complex than the Space Shuttle', may be used
to launch Tomahawk missiles against Isis
'The
US-Arab coalition has for the first time struck IS bases in the eastern
desert of Homs province,' Abdel Rahman said, adding that the positions
were in the area of Al-Hammad, east of ancient city Palmyra.
Washington
has been keen not to let Assad's forces exploit the air campaign
against IS to take the upper hand in the more than three-year-old civil
war.
In
eastern Aleppo province - the western limit of IS control - the
coalition hit several jihadist targets in Minbej, said the Observatory,
which relies on a broad network of activists and doctors for its
reports.
Further
east, the coalition pounded the city of Raqa, which the jihadists have
made their headquarters, the Britain-based group said.
'At least 31 explosions were heard in Raqa city and its surroundings.'
The operation against Isis also now includes Belgium and Denmark.
Denmark
pledged seven F-16 fighter jets. Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt
said her government would send four operational planes and three reserve
jets along with 250 pilots and support staff for 12 months.
Belgium said that it would contribute six F-16 fighter jets to the operation, but would limit their deployment to Iraq.
Belgian F-16 fighter jets prepare to take off from their base in Florennes on Friday
A Belgian F-16 fighter jet prepares to take off to join the international coalition fighting the Islamic State
In May, Belgium was shaken when a gunman opened fire at a Jewish museum in Brussels, killing four people.
The
suspect, French citizen Mehdi Nemouche, has been identified as a
returning Islamic fighter from Syria, and leaders in Belgium and other
European countries have expressed their fears that other returnees from
Syria and Iraq may cause further havoc.
'We
must fight against torture, against decapitations, so it's time to
act,' said Belgian lawmaker Veli Yuksel, a Flemish Christian Democrat.
The
European politicians flatly described the moves as critical to security
on home soil, arguing that facing down terrorists has become a matter
of urgency.
Prime
Minister David Cameron made a passionate plea for action in drastic
terms - noting that the militants had beheaded their victims, gouged out
eyes and carried out crucifixions to promote goals 'from the Dark
Ages.'
'This
is about psychopathic terrorists that are trying to kill us and we do
have to realize that, whether we like it or not, they have already
declared war on us,' he said. 'There isn't a `walk on by' option.
There isn't an option of just hoping this will go away.'
Cameron
told a tense House of Commons during more than six hours of debate that
the hallmarks of the campaign would be 'patience and persistence, not
shock and awe' - a reference to the phrase associated with the invasion
of Iraq.
That
unpopular intervention has cast a shadow over the discussions because
critics fear that Europe will be drawn into a wider conflict,
specifically taking on the Islamic group's fighters in Syria.
British
MPs voted 524-43 for action after being urgently recalled from a
recess. Belgian lawmakers also overwhelmingly approved, voting 114-2 to
take part, despite widespread concerns that more terrorism may follow in
their homeland as a result.
The White House said in a statement that it welcomed the countries to the coalition.
'These
decisions - along with those by Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar to participate in airstrikes against ISIL
in Syria - demonstrate the clear commitment of the international
community to take action together against these terrorists,' the
statement reads.
'WE'VE KILLED WORLD'S MOST WANTED TERRORIST': AMERICAN OFFICIALS BELIEVE MUHSIN AL-FADHLI DIED IN SYRIAN AIRSTRIKES
Airstrikes
in northern Syria killed the 'world's most wanted terrorist' before his
band of Islamist militants were able to carry out deadly 'toothpaste
tube bomb attacks' on the U.S. and Europe, American officials believe.
Muhsin
al-Fadhl, 33, was identified as the leader of the Al Qaeda-affiliated
Khorasan Group - a radical terror collective specializing in
intercepting Western jihadists on their arrival in Syria, and training
them to carry out deadly bomb attacks on targets in their home nations.
As
well as an American and Arab coalition hitting targets relating to ISIS
militants in Syria this week, the U.S. air force also independently
struck Khorasan as intelligence suggested the group were nearing 'the
execution phase' of a terror atrocity against a Western target that
could have rivalled 9/11.
Details
of the alleged death of al-Fadhl emerged this afternoon from a U.S.
military official speaking on condition of anonymity.
Despite
his relatively young age, the Kuwait-born militant was an Al Qaeda
veteran; joining the terror group as a teenager and becoming so close to
its leadership that he was among a select few with prior knowledge of
the 9/11 attacks in America, despite having only just turned 20 at the
time.
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