Royal Air Force Fighter Jet Shoots Down Drone in Syria

LONDON (Sputnik) - A British Royal Air Force fighter jet has shot down a small unmanned aircraft in Syria in what is the air force's first air-to-air missile firing in the United Kingdom's military campaign against Daesh (aka IS, a terrorist group, banned in Russia), the UK Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

The engagement took place on Tuesday when drone activity was confirmed above the US At Tanf military base, with RAF Typhoons tasked with investigating during a patrol. The drone was downed with an Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missile, despite its small size.

"A Royal Air Force Typhoon has shot down a small hostile drone in Syria which posed a threat to Coalition forces in the area. This unprecedented event was the first operational air-to-air engagement conducted by an RAF Typhoon, and also the first RAF air-to-air missile firing during Operation SHADER – the UK’s contribution to the Global Coalition against Daesh [IS]," the ministry said in a statement.

The armed conflict in Syria has been going on since 2011. In late 2017, IS was declared defeated in Syria and Iraq, but counterterrorism operations continue.