RAF launched less than one successful strike every two days in Syria

28-02-2016
Rudaw
Tags: Islamic State RAF Deir Ezzor British jets
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Since Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) extended its anti-Islamic State (ISIS) bombing operations into early last December it has carried out less than one successful strike every two days.

This is according to official reports released by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) which has a "chronological list of British forces air strikes to assist the Iraqi government in its fight against Daesh [ISIS]" on its website.

That list, according to The Independent, reveals that the RAF has carried out 33 successful strikes in Syria since December. Hence less than one successful strike per day.

The number of successful strikes are also declining. Between 31 January and 15 February no RAF strikes were carried out against ISIS in Syria.

The last update the MoD gave was on February 18. An MoD spokesperson stressed that the RAF's limited number of strikes should be assessed in the broader context of the much larger American-led effort.

"In Iraq we have helped to drive them [ISIS] out of Sinjar and Ramadi. In Syria, we have severely weakened them by targeting their key infrastructure," he said.

British strikes in Syria have hit ISIS's economic assets, such as oil-related targets in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor province in a bid to cripple the groups ability to fund its various activities.

RAF jet fighters have hit ISIS targets with Paveway IV bombs and air-to-ground Hellfire and Brimstone missiles.

The latter of which was vaunted as a unique and precise hi-tech weapons which only Britain, and Saudi Arabia, possesses.

However last February 18 it was revealed that these smart-missiles had failed to kill any ISIS members in Syria to date.

It not clear how many RAF missions over Syria have failed to find their targets.

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