Operation Shader: UK mission to defeat IS in Iraq and Syria to come to an end
The UK mission to defeat so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is ending following more than 10,000 sorties by the Royal Air Force.
RAF aircraft have struck some 1,400 targets during the last decade as part of Operation Shader – the UK's contribution to the US-led Operation Inherent Resolve which is drawing to a close.
The mission operates under the Global Coalition against Daesh – made up of 87 nations and partners – which is ending its military mission in Iraq and Syria over the next 12 months.
Soldiers from the British Army have also deployed to Iraq as part of the mission, providing support, training and assistance to more than 111,000 members of the Iraqi Security Force in crucial infantry, weapons maintenance, counter-IED, medical and engineering skills.
"We pay tribute to the professionalism of UK personnel who have played their part in the Global Coalition," the Ministry of Defence said.
Operation Inherent Resolve was set up by the coalition in 2014 to advise, assist and enable partner forces to secure the lasting defeat of IS and establish enduring security cooperation.
IS has been territorially defeated in both Iraq and Syria.
The US said there is a two-phase transition plan for the mission and a shift towards security partnerships, with US officials saying the move is not a withdrawal.
The first phase begins with the ending of the military mission in Iraq.
An unspecified number of coalition forces will withdraw from certain locations in Iraq, with the transition period starting immediately and ending in September 2025.
The second phase looks to prevent the return of the "significant" threat posed by IS in Syria, the US said.
Iraq will allow the coalition "to continue to support counter-ISIS operations in Syria from Iraq throughout the second phase of the transition until at least September 2026, subject to conditions on the ground and, obviously, consultations among future political leaders of Iraq and the United States", an unnamed US official said.
In a briefing with reporters, a senior US official said: "I just want to foot-stomp the fact that this is not a withdrawal.
"This is a transition. It's a transition from a coalition military mission to an expanded US-Iraqi bilateral security relationship."
The MOD said alongside coalition partners the UK remains committed to the defeat of IS.
"Our commitment to the security of Iraq and the wider region remains unwavering and we will look to develop a bilateral relationship that supports long-term stability in Iraq," the MOD said.
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