Britain has launched its first drone strike against Islamic State (Isis) fighters in Iraq.
An RAF Reaper drone fired a Hellfire missile at Isis forces laying improvised explosive devices near Bayji, the site of Iraq’s biggest oil refinery, north of Baghdad, over the weekend, the Ministry of Defence said on Monday.
About five Reapers previously based in Afghanistan were recently deployed to Iraq and are piloted remotely by RAF personnel in the area.
The US-made drones are considered to be an effective weapon against Isis fighters. They are also providing intelligence through their surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to British Tornados and other manned aircraft conducting operations in northern Iraq.
They have a range of about 1,240 miles (2,000km) and a top speed of about 298 miles an hour (480km/h).
The UK launched its first air strikes against Isis targets in Iraq on 30 September. RAF Tornado jets have attacked Isis armed pickup trucks and a shipping container used to store equipment on three separate occasions over the past week, according to the MoD.
Eight RAF Tornados GR4 aircaft have been deployed to Akrotiri, Britain’s base in south-west Cyprus, to take part in attacks in Iraq, but not against targets in Syria.
There are also a number of British military intructors and special forces in northern Iraq.
