Britain resumes raids against ISIS in Iraq

Shafaq News / The British government announced its first counter-Islamic State (ISIS) airstrikes since September as part of continued global coalition campaign against the terrorist organization.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out a "successful air raid" by two "Typhoon" jets on April 10 against ISIS terrorist forces in Tuz Khurmatu area, south of Kirkuk, The British government stated in a press briefing.

It reported that the operation has been able to " "removing several Daesh fighters from the battlefield and further degrading the terrorist movement.”."

In the details of the raid, RAF stated that it had targeted terrorists who were in fortified buildings in an isolated area west of "Tuz Khurmatu", known to be the focus of their active concentration in the region.

"The surveillance aircraft continued to scan the area, confirming that all weapons had struck their targets and there was no collateral damage,"  it added.

The last British air strike against ISIS was in September, when a group of terrorist organization members were targeted after they clashed with the Iraqi forces.

Tuz Khurmatu is a disputed city claimed by Erbil and Baghdad and is home of Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen.

Iraqi forces have assumed responsibility for city security since October 2017, when Peshmerga forces were forced to leave the area following the independence referendum.

ISIS was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in December 2017 and in Syria in March 2019. However, insurgency has continued in both countries, exploiting security vacuums between rival forces.