RAF Reaper drone wipes out suspected ISIS terror unit in Iraq

RAF Reaper drone wipes out suspected ISIS terror unit in Iraq attacking them with a 500lb laser-guided smart bomb

  • The drone attacked ISIS suspects in Anbar province, west of Baghdad 
  • Iraqi defence forces called for assistance after they were attacked by ISIS 
  • Coalition fast jets hit the suspected terrorists before the drone arrived 
  • The drone’s crew launched a single GBU-12 guided bomb to attack the group 

An RAF Reaper drone has wiped out a suspected ISIS terror unit who had attacked Iraqi security forces west of Baghdad. 

According to the Ministry of Defence, ‘a small group of extremists’ attacked local security forces in Anbar province west of Baghdad. 

A coalition aircraft attacked part of the ISIS force, forcing the remainder to retreat when they were targeted by the unmanned Reaper. 

An RAF Reaper drone has attacked and destroyed an ISIS terror cell outside Baghdad according to the Ministry of Defence (stock image) 

The Ministry of Defence released footage of the drone attacking the terrorists with a 500lb laser-guided smart bomb

The Ministry of Defence released footage of the drone attacking the terrorists with a 500lb laser-guided smart bomb

The RAF drone was called in to support local Iraqi security forces who were being attacked by ISIS

The RAF drone was called in to support local Iraqi security forces who were being attacked by ISIS 

The MoD said RAF crews were flying daily missions against ISIS in Iraq and Syria

The MoD said RAF crews were flying daily missions against ISIS in Iraq and Syria

The RAF drone identified the suspected terrorists and fired a laser-guided 500lb at them. 

According to the MoD: ‘The crew of the Reaper successfully located them, and at an appropriate moment, with no sign of a strike posing any risks to friendly forces or any civilians, conducted a carefully planned attack with a GBU-12 guided bomb. The Iraqi forces subsequently reported that the threat had been eliminated.’ 

The MoD said the RAF are flying manned and unmanned missions against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. 

On August 20, a Reaper drone fired a single hellfire missile at a cave complex 85 miles west of Kirkuk, northern Iraq.  

According to the MoD: ‘The missile struck the target accurately, and the blast was observed to emerge from another part of the cave network, indicating that weapon’s effect had reached deep inside the caves.’ 

Further attacks were launched against ISIS suspects on August 26, including both Reaper drones and coalition fast jets. 

The MoD claimed no innocent civilians were injured during the attack

The MoD claimed no innocent civilians were injured during the attack

The General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper drone

The MQ-9 Reaper drone is designed to operate at medium altitudes for long endurance missions. 

The unmanned drone can fly for up to 20 hours when it is unarmed or 12 hours when carrying weapons. 

It is used for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) and strike missions. 

It is able to remain above a target for long periods providing live data to its controllers on the ground station in the US or the UK. 

A separate team are responsible for arming and maintaining the weapons system ‘in theatre’.  

The RAF Reaper drone can be equipped with four hellfire missiles as well as a pair of 500lb laser-guided bombs

The RAF Reaper drone can be equipped with four hellfire missiles as well as a pair of 500lb laser-guided bombs 

Powerplant: one 900shp Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop

Length: 36ft (10.97m)

Height: 12ft (3.66m)

Wingspan: 69ft 3½in (21.12m)

Maximum take-off weight: 10,500lb (4,760kg)

Maximum speed: 250kt (463km/h)

Endurance (clean): 20 hours

Endurance (with weapons): more than 12 hours

Service ceiling (clean): more than 50,000ft

Service ceiling (with weapons): more than 30,000ft

Armament: two 500lb GBU-12 laser-guided bombs and four AGM-114 Hellfire missiles