In the midst of Budget preparations, the Defence Department published the first of its new fortnightly releases on the ADF’s airstrikes in the Middle East.
“Australian F/A-18 Hornets supported Iraqi forces in contact with Daesh elements during operations in Mosul,” the release said.
“The Australian aircraft struck one Daesh fighting position with precision guided munition during several hours of support.”
The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited Iraq and Afghanistan as part of Anzac Day commemorations in April.
Australian jets were involved in seven airstrikes in Mosul between April 18 and April 30, including strikes against a ‘heavy weapon site’ and a ‘weapons cache site’, according to its report.
The airstrikes occurred on:
- April 18 – targeting multiple IS positions
- April 21 – targeting multiple IS fighting positions and lines of communication
- April 23 – targeting an IS fighting position and ground line of communication
- April 24 – targeting one IS fighting position
- April 25 - targeting one IS fighting position
- April 26 – targeting one IS heavy weapon site
- April 30 – targeting one IS weapons cache site
Australia’s Air Task Group forms part of Operation Okra and consists of six F/A-18F Super Hornets, an E-7A Wedgetail communications aircraft and a refueling aircraft.
In 2017, Australian jets have flown 292 missions over Iraq and four over Syria, according to the Defence Department.
In September 2016, two Australian jets dropped six bombs in a mistaken airstrike on Syria which killed between 15 to 83 government-aligned soldiers.
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