November 11, 2014 11.50 am This story is over 112 months old

RAF Waddington drone fires missile at ISIL terrorists

Successful attacks: A Royal Air Force Reaper ‘drone’, piloted by the 13 Reaper Squadron at RAF Waddington near Lincoln, has conducted its first air strike in the fight against ISIL.
The Reaper Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) | Photo: Sergeant Dan Bardsley

A Royal Air Force Reaper ‘drone’, piloted by the 13 Reaper Squadron at RAF Waddington near Lincoln, has conducted its first air strike on Islamic State militants as they attempted to plant explosives.

As previously reported, the remotely piloted air system (PRAS) or drones, were deployed from their base in Afghanistan to Syria in order to gather intelligence in the fight against ISIL.

As British forces continue to assist the Iraqi Government, a series of coalition missions were conducted this weekend 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.

The Ministry of Defence said: “UK Reaper continued to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assistance to coalition aircraft which enabled them to conduct further strikes.

“In addition, on Sunday, November 9, 2 RAF Tornado GR4s investigated suspected ISIL activity near Al Anbar, west of Baghdad.

“A single Brimstone missile was used to successfully destroy a shipping container used by the terrorists to store equipment to support extortion and control of the local population.”

A video was released by the Ministry of Defence after 2 Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s in investigated ISIL activity on November 3. A Brimstone missile was again used to attack a heavily armed ISIL pick up truck.