Britain conducts first airstrike against IS targets

Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) military jets have conducted their first strikes on an Islamic State (IS) heavy weapon position in Iraq, the British ministry of defence said Tuesday.

In the course of an armed reconnaissance mission, two Tornados were tasked to assist Kurdish troops in northwest Iraq who were under attack from IS, also known as ISIL, the ministry was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

"On arriving overhead, the RAF patrol, using the Litening III targeting pod, identified an ISIL heavy weapon position which was engaging Kurdish ground forces," the ministry said in a statement.

One Paveway IV guided bomb was used to attack the ISIL position, it added.

Following the engagement, the RAF patrol identified an ISIL armed truck in the same area and conducted an attack on the vehicle using a Brimstone missile.

"An initial assessment indicates that both precision strikes were successful," the ministry said.