The British Air Force has announced that its fighter jets fired four missiles on two ISIS vehicles west of Baghdad on Tuesday night.
This is the first time British fighter jets have been involved in the anti-ISIS air raid campaign, which began just about a month ago. A statement by the British Defense Ministry reads "Two Tornado GR4s from RAF Akrotiri conducted an armed reconnaissance mission in support of Iraqi government forces west of Baghdad."
Reports indicate that the fighter jets, which are based in Cyprus, took to flight over the weekend but returned back to their base later in the afternoon after no terrorist targets were identified.
The British Defense Ministry has revealed that the fighter jets were deployed to "examine a location suspected of being an ISIL (ISIS) command and control position" before they engaged the target on Tuesday. The statement goes on to note that the vehicles targeted by the four Brimstone missiles are suspected to have been armed. The ministry has also released pictures of the attack, which has been described as "successful", to the press.
This is the British government's first military action in Iraq since officials pulled the country's forces from there about three years ago. Last week, British legislators approved a proposal for the country to join the US-led military offensive against ISIS.
Experts estimate that over 200 airstrikes have been made against ISIS since the campaign began. The group, who currently control large parts of Syria and swatches of communities in northern Iraq, have sought to extend their control over other areas. Reports indicate that on Tuesday, Kurdish fighters successfully repelled the militants from Kobani - an important Kurdish dominated town on the border between Iraq and Syria.
Meanwhile, some critics have cited the huge cost of the ongoing airstrikes (reportedly nearly $1 billion already) and the loopholes in the strategy to collaborate with "moderate rebels" as evidence that the US-led intervention will fail or have unforeseen negative consequences in the long term.
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