UKSF Wounded In ISIS Ambush
06.02.2016
3 members of United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) have been wounded in action during a secret mission in Iraq, a newspaper has reported.[1]
According to The Mirror, the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) troops were operating as part of a 25-man Coalition Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF) that included British, American and German elements. They were reportedly on a patrol close to the city of Mosul, in Northern Iraq. About 10 miles south of Mosul's airport, the CJSOTF's convoy of pickup trucks were ambushed by ISIS fighters. The ISIS force included troops mounted on captured Iraqi Army Humvees, fitted with heavy machine guns. They also engaged the allied convoy with rocket propelled grenades (RPGs).
A firefight then erupted as the allied troops debussed from their lightly-protected vehicles and returned fire at their ambushers. It was during this firefight that 3 UKSF men were injured by shrapnel from an RPG. A German team took out one of the ISIS vehicles with a Javelin missile. The gun battle raged for 15 minutes until fighter jets arrived and provided close air support. When the smoke cleared from the battlefield, all the ISIS attackers lay dead.
The wounded UKSF men were treated on the ground and eventually were airlifted away for further treatment by a helicopter. Their injuries are not said to be life-changing.
These are reportedly the first injuries involving British Special Forces fighting against ISIS. The UK is rumoured to have a significant contingent of Special Forces operating in Iraq. Troops from the SAS, SBS, Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) and the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) are all thought to be active in an ongoing campaign that has not been officially recognized by the UK government.
More info / further reading
- 1. SAS heroes blown up in ISIS ambush on top secret mission in Iraq
(the Mirror)
- 2. SAS To Use The Toyota Hilux
(Elite UK Forces)
