Operation Shader

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Operation Shader
Part of the Military intervention against ISIL in Iraq, and Syria and Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War
A Typhoon FGR4 flies over Iraq on 22 December 2015.
Date 9 August 2014 – present (9 years, 8 months, 2 weeks and 6 days)[1] Location Iraq, Syria, Libya, & Lebanon[2][3] Status Ongoing British airstrikes and ground support against ISIL in Iraq and Syria Recapture of all ISIL-held territory in Iraq by 10 December 2017[4] Complete military defeat of ISIL in Syria on 23 March 2019 Numerous ISIL leaders killed Multiple terrorist acts committed by ISIL in London and Manchester leading to 34 deaths
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Islamic State
Commanders and leaders
Rishi Sunak Grant Shapps Tony Radakin Charles Stickland Hannah Bishop Former David Cameron Theresa May Boris Johnson Liz Truss Michael Fallon Gavin Williamson Penny Mordaunt Ben Wallace Amber Rudd Sajid Javid Priti Patel Suella Braverman Nick Houghton Stuart Peach Nick Carter Peter Wall Nick Carter Mark Carleton-Smith Lieutenant-General Mark Poffley Lieutenant-General Nick Pope Lieutenant-General Christopher Tickell Glenn Haughton Gavin Paton George Zambellas Philip Jones Tony Radakin Andrew Pulford Stephen Hillier Michael Wigston Graeme Spark Clive Martland Jon Crossley Jake Alpert	Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (Leader of IS) Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi † Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi † Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi †[5] Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi †[6] Abu Alaa Afri †[7] Abu Suleiman al-Naser † Abu Ali al-Anbari † Abu Omar al-Shishani †
Units involved
Royal Air Force  British Army  Royal Navy	Military of ISIL
Strength
See Deployed forces	9,000–18,000 (U.S. intelligence estimate, January 2015)[8] 20,000–31,500 (CIA estimate, September 2014)[9] * 850 British jihadists[10]
Casualties and losses
3 servicemen killed (2 non-combat)[11][12][13] 2 servicemen wounded[14] 8 volunteer SDF fighters killed[15] 2 volunteer aid workers executed[16] 1 journalist missing[17]	4,013 killed, 302 injured (per UK)[18]

Operation Shader is the operational code name given to the contribution of the United Kingdom in the ongoing military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The operation involves the British Army providing ground support and training to allied forces fighting against ISIL, the Royal Air Force providing humanitarian aid airdrops, reconnaissance and airstrikes, and the Royal Navy providing reconnaissance and airstrikes from the UK Carrier Strike group and escort to allied carrier battle groups.^[19]

Additionally, UK Special Forces have reportedly operated in Iraq, Syria and Libya.^[20]

By January 2019, the Ministry of Defence stated that 1,700 British airstrikes had killed or injured 4,315 enemy fighters in Iraq and Syria, with one civilian casualty.^[21] The RAF had also delivered £230 million worth of humanitarian aid.^[22] Overall, the operation had resulted in a net cost of £1.75 billion.^[23] The number of airstrikes carried out in Iraq and Syria has been second only to the United States, with a report that the Royal Air Force has conducted 20 per cent of all airstrikes.^[24][25] The operation is the most intense flying mission the RAF has undertaken in 25 years.^[26]